by Shelley Blake, for Saratoga Gaming and Raceway

Saratoga Springs, NY — The hot and muggy weather gave way to a sizzling track on a Thursday night featuring eight divisions of New York Sires Stakes for 2-year-old colt and gelding pacers at Saratoga Gaming and Raceway.

Jim Morrill, Jr. was once again the king of the stakes, taking four of the eight NYSS races.

In the first race, Steinman and Ray Schnittker fired out for the lead and soon found themselves in a world of their own, leading by 10 lengths over the rest of the field to a blistering :55.2 half. But Steinman quickly tired, giving way to Hands To Yourself and Morrill, who sped past the tiring duo to go on to win by three lengths in 1:55.4.

Share The Delight, catch-driven by Morrill, broke the track record for 2-year-old colts in his division, besting Kenneth J’s record mile by a fifth of a second in a 1:55.1 effort.

Share The Delight, trained by Linda Toscano, held the record for all of two races before it was broken again by Ray Schnittker’s Riggins, who posted a :27.2 final quarter to best pacesetter Zepplin Blue Chip by 2-1/2 lengths while stopping the timer at 1:54.

Schnittker’s good night didn’t end there as Jagger Blue Chip, trained and driven by Schnittker, found his way into the winner’s circle as well. Besting the favorite General Montgomery, who made a break in the stretch, Jagger Blue Chip won by two lengths in 1:56.2.

Morning line favorites Dr Flamingo and Kim Crawford, and Circus Dreamer with Dan Cappello, Jr., lived up to their odds, each taking a division of the NYSS in 1:57.1 and 1:56.4, respectively.

And in the final two divisions, it was once again a Morrill catch-drive that crossed the finish line first. Post time favorite Lislea Miles took a backseat to Jove’s Success and Howard Okusko, Jr. until the stretch when Morrill steered his charge past the pacesetter in 1:57.4.

Morrill was just along for the ride behind the final division’s winner, Major Duke, as the George Teague, Jr. trained colt went gate-to-wire to win by 4-1/2 lengths in 1:56.2.

The ladies, however, were not about to be upstaged by the boys. Morrill, once again, crossed the wire first aboard Hidden Touch in the $15,000 Fillies & Mares Open. Trained by John Mongeon, Jr., Hidden Touch took the feature in 1:54.2.

Racing resumes on Friday night at Saratoga Gaming and Raceway. Post time is 7:00 p.m.