(Clear Idea and driver Jodi Jamieson.)
By Tim Bojarski, for Batavia Downs
The competition was keen among the two divisions of 3-year-old pacing fillies in the $117,600 New York Sire Stakes (NYSS) at Batavia Downs as Clear Idea and Angel’s Pride both beat post-time favorites to add to their points and earnings in the state-bred series on Sunday afternoon (Aug. 6).
In the faster of the two $58,800 divisions, Clear Idea (American Ideal-Glass Maker) turned a two-hole trip into her eighth win of the year and solidified her spot as the top NYSS 3-year-old pacing filly.
Heavily favored Tequila Monday (Matt Kakaley) was a tentative leaver from post five and it took her over three-eighths of a mile to grab the front from Clear Idea (Jodi Jamieson) and finally hit the pylons. After tripping the half in :55.2 Kakaley kept his filly rolling up the backside for the next quarter before Roaring To Go (Dan Rawlings) rolled alongside to push the issue. But into the lane Clear Idea found the passing lane and paced by the rest under steady urging from Jamieson to win by a length in 1:53.3.
It was the sixth win in a row for Clear Idea ($4.30) and fifth NYSS win for the filly that has now earned $181,733 this year for owners Hutt Racing Stable and Blake Macintosh, who also trains the winner.
(Angel's Pride with driver Matt Kakaley.)
In the other $58,800 split, Angel’s Pride (Roll With Joe-Angel Place) benefitted from an early break by 1-4 favorite Candlelight Dinner (Jim Morrill Jr.) to score her second NYSS victory this year and move up in the standings.
Queen Josephine (Jodi Jamieson) cut the mile from the start and backed off the half to a pedestrian :58.2 as a gapped leader. That lead would soon end as Angel’s Pride (Matt Kakaley) pulled from third past the five-eighths and circled to the front by the three-quarter pole and she just kept pacing away from there. Angel’s Pride opened up a five-length advantage with Kakaley sitting motionless to win in 1:54.2.
Angel’s Pride ($15.20) registered her fourth win of the year and second in the NYSS. The filly now has earned $81,356 this year for owners Triple D Stables Inc. and JFE Enterprises LLC. Angel’s Pride is trained by Scott Di Domenico.
There were also three divisions of the Excelsior A series, each going for $15,000.
The first division was won by Ameraway (American Ideal-Shyaway) in 1:54.2. Ameraway ($8.30) was driven by Matt Kakaley and trained by Erv Miller for owners the Erv Miller Stable Inc., Paymaq Racing, Tangie Massey and Neil Cumsky.
The second split went to Roll With Sparky (Roll With Joe-Circle Game) in 1:55.2. Roll With Sparky ($3.10) was driven by Jodi Jamieson and trained by Jim Graham who owns the horse with Lee Winters and Paul Tandlmayer.
The final contest went to All About The Pace (Roll With Joe-Queen Of Blues) in 1:56. All About The Pace ($73.50) was driven by Drew Monti and trained by Scott Di Domenico for owners Triple D Stables Inc. and JFE Enterprises LLC.
