Here's a news release from Todd Haight at Batavia Downs.
The 2010 New York Sire Stakes season ended with a bang on Saturday night with a pair of track records set and another impressive appearance by Jezzy, now a perfect 10 for 10 lifetime.
The evening featured four divisions of 3-year-old colt and gelding trotters and three events for 2-year-old trotting fillies. More than $275,000 in stakes money was offered.
The Credit Winner colt, Stimulus, started the fireworks when he trotted to a new track record for 3-year-old trotting colts and geldings in the very first race.
Leaving from the rail, Stimulus with Marcus Johansson in the bike, sat the two-hole until the top of the stretch and roared out of the pocket to a 1:57.3 score, lowering Russell Hill’s record, set last season, by a fifth of a second.
Stimulus is owned by the contingent of Christina Takter, John Fielding and Falkbolagen Ab. Jimmy Takter is the conditioner.
However Stimulus’s name didn’t stay in the record books long, as another son of Credit Winner, Whata Winner, would annihilate that standard later in the evening.
Leaving from the rail with Hall of Famer Jim Doherty in the sulky, Whata Winner was sent right to the front and never looked back, turning back heavily favored Blacktuxwhitesox’s (Jeff Gregory) stretch bid to notch his name in the record books with a 1:56.2 clocking.
His time was just two-fifths of a second off Earl’s all-age record. The fractions were :28-:58-1:26.2. Whata Winner is trained and co-owned by Jim Doherty along with Thomas Dillon and Terrax, Inc. Whata Winner scored his eight win of the campaign and raised his 2010 earnings to more $247,000.
The much heralded trotting sensation Jezzy had no problem remaining unbeaten heading to next Saturday's Yonkers Night of Champion finals for 2-year-old trotting fillies when she cruised to the best 6-1/2 length score in 2:03 for trainer/driver Ray Schnittker. Not that she needed any help, but five early breakers made her appearance basically a training mile.
Ray Schnittker, Jerry Silva, Jeffrey Gural and Theodore Gewertz own the Credit Winner-Ladylind freshman. Gural’s Little E farm bred Jezzy who has earned over $222,000 for her connections.
Dreamy Dawn become the new track record holder for 2-year-old trotting fillies at the Downs when she easily lowered Princess Maddie’s (2:00.4) record by almost two seconds.
Sent right to the top from post-two by reinsman Jeff Gregory, Dreamy Dawn put up all the numbers en route to 4-1/2 length, 1:59 victory to establish the mark. The fractions were :29-:59-1:29. The quickly improving Dream Vacation - Divine Eos juvenile is owned/trained and was bred by Ed Lohmeyer.
“What a fantastic New York Sire Stakes season we’ve had,” Mike Kane, vice president of Live Racing said. “We had six track records set and the fans came out to watch. Our on-track handle was up 16 percent tonight thanks to a great racing card.”
The final NYSS late closers of the season take place when racing resumes on Tuesday night. Two-year-old colt and gelding trotters compete in four divisions worth $13,200 each. Two of the late closers will be raced as non-wagering events starting at 6 p.m.
Veteran reinsman Ken Holliday starts the new race week just two wins shy of career milestone 5,000. Post time for the first of 12 is 6:40 p.m.
