Batavia: Big names don't disappoint on New York Night of Champions

New York Night of Champions for 2019 took place on Saturday night at Batavia Downs as the Empire State's best 2- and 3-year-old pacers and trotters of both sexes were in action in eight $225,000 sire stakes finals.

Here's a recap of the action:

Blue Chip Farms Three-year-old colt and gelding pace

Hickfromfrenchlick (Matt Kakaley) posted his fifth straight victory with a 1:54 mile in this final, which closed out the championships. Away second behind Artie's Ideal (Marcus Miller), Hickfromfrenchlick vacated the pocket and took over first nearing the 28 second opening quarter. Kakaley backed down the tempo to 57 3/5 at the half, and then repelled a mild first-over bid from Buddy Hill to the 1:25 4/5 three-quarters and around the last turn. Through the stretch there was no catching Hickfromfrenchlick as he crossed the wire a length and a quarter in front of Artie's Ideal, with Rollwithpapajoe (Joe Bongiorno) closing for third.

"He's been a good colt. He's game and he does everything right," stated trainer Ray Schnittker. "He's going to go to the Simpson at Harrah's Philadelphia, and then he's got three races in Indiana."

Schnittker also co-owns Hickfromfrenchlick, a colt by So Surreal named after NBA legend Larry Bird, with partners Nolamaura Racing LLC. and Thomas Spatorico. This was his 12th career win, and he has now earned $526,927. He was sent off at 3-1 and returned $8.10 to win.

SUNY Morrisville Equine Institute Three-year-old colt and gelding trot

Gimpanzee, sent off at 1-9, defended his New York Sire Stakes title with a 1:56 2/5 score from post seven for Brian Sears and Marcus Melander. He had no problem getting to the front from the outside draw and loafed through fractions of 29, 59, and 1:28 1/5. A first-over Winnerup (Trond Smedshammer), who found a seat in fifth from post eight, loomed a bit past three-quarters, but Gimpanzee had all sorts of trot left through the lane as he kept clear to defeat Winnerup by 2 1/4 lengths. Powerscourt (Mickey McGivern) rallied for third.

"He showed all along he's the best horse in the New York circuit. After a 59 half today he won pretty easy," said Melander. "He came comfortable to the lead and then it was pretty easy. He'll go to Lexington next. Then we'll probably try the Breeders Crown, obviously. He's got a lot of big races left."

Melander trains Gimpanzee, a Chapter Seven colt, for owners Courant Inc. and S R F Stable. Gimpanzee has 15 wins from 17 career starts, with his only defeats in his elimination (fourth) and final (third) of the Hambletonian, and he has now put away $1,258,496. Gimpanzee paid $2.10 to win.

Agriculture & NYS Horse Breeding Development Fund Two-year-old colt and gelding trot

Third Shift (Svanstedt) hadn't won on a half-mile track coming into tonight, but he changed that with a front-stepping 1:56 victory that gave him the track and stakes record. Starting from post four, Third Shift led to a 28 2/5 quarter, 58 1/5 half, and 1:26 3/5 three-quarters, then lasted by three-parts of a length over a two-wide and rallying Chaptiama (Smedshammer). Beerthirty K (Tyler Buter) was third.

A Chapter Seven colt, Third Shift is owned by Mellby Gard Inc. Bred by Winbak Farm, Third Shift fetched $235,000 at last year's Standardbred Horse Sale and is out of the CR Commando mare Overnight Command, who was a three-time Delaware Standardbred Fund champion during her time on the track, earning $226,625 to go with a mark of 1:59 at Harrington. Sent off at 4-1, Third Shift returned $10.00 to win.

Genesee Valley Farm Two-year-old colt and gelding pace

Cigars And Port, driven by Jason Bartlett for the first time, dug in when challenged by Groovy Joe (Kakaley) and repelled him to the wire to win in a track record time of 1:54. After causing a recall, Cigars And Port went to the lead after the field lined up again and cut fractions of 28 2/5, 58 2/5, and 1:26 1/5. Groovy Joe, who worked out a pocket trip from post eight, was half-in/half-out past the half, but committed to the outside approaching three-quarters and joined Cigars And Port around the last turn.

Bartlett guided Cigars And Port safely around the bend while maintaining inside advantage, and once they straightened up in the stretch, Cigars And Port regained a clear advantage on his way to winning by a length. Freedom Warrior (Morrill Jr.) collected third.

"I just stuck his nose on there instead of fighting with him," said Bartlett about the reformation of the field after the recall. "After that he was good."

Schnittker also co-owns Cigars And Port, a So Surreal-Sweet On Art colt, with partners Nolamaura Racing LLC., Ted Gewertz, and Steve Arnold. Cigars And Port, who was bred by Steve Jones and sold for $8,000 at the Goshen Yearling Sale, has won three times from eight tries, and he has earned $192,351. He was the 7-5 choice and paid $4.80 to win.

Crawford Farms Two-year-old filly trot

Hypnotic AM (Sears/Melander) is now seven-for-seven after a stakes and track record 1:57 1/5 victory in this contest. Really Blue Chip (Anthony MacDonald) charged away from the gate and led on the opening bend, but Sears sent Hypnotic AM to the outside and to the lead going to the 29 second opening quarter. Hypnotic AM never had an anxious moment after that, trotting through a 59 second half and a 1:28 1/5 three-quarters on her way to the win. She defeated Seventimesalady (Svanstedt) by three lengths, and Without A Woman (Scott Zeron) came in third.

"She's a very talented filly, just gets over a half-mile track so easy. Can't say enough about her. She's a sweetheart," stated Sears. "Marcus has done a beautiful job with her. She knows exactly what we're trying to accomplish."

A filly by Chapter Seven, Hypnotic AM is a homebred for Anders Strom's Courant Inc., and she pushed her bankroll to $386,457 to go with her undefeated record. She is out of the Muscle Hill mare Daydream AM, and she returned $2.10 to win as the 1-9 choice.

Winbak Farm Two-year-old filly pace

The Fun Marshall (Zeron) took advantage of a rail draw and an excellent effort to win easily in 1:54 2/5. Racine Bell (Bartlett) blasted away from the gate and led on the first turn, but The Fun Marshall was brought to the outside from the pocket and took over going to the 27 4/5 first quarter. Zeron then backed down the half to 58 1/5, with Cash Roll (Andy Miller) going first-up from third passing that point. Public choice Merga Hanover (Kakaley) grabbed the cover from fourth to sit second-over.

Merga Hanover tried it three-wide going to the 1:26 1/5 three-quarters, but her bid stalled as The Fun Marshall got away from the field. Closing in 28 1/5, The Fun Marshall opened up all the way to the wire, winning by six lengths. Racine Bell held second, with So Rude (Morrill Jr.) third.

"She was primed and ready for this race. I've never had her on front, and then when I asked her, she paced as fast as she could to the wire," said Zeron. "I was impressed."

The Fun Marshall is a daugher of So Surreal-Hallmark Hanover (Arturo) who was bred by Steve Jones and sold for $20,000 at the Goshen Yearling Sale. She is owned by her trainer Richie Silverman in partnership with Mary Kinsey Arnold, Edward McEnery, and Michael Gluckman. She is now a three-time winner, and she has banked $179,496. The 5-2 second choice, she paid $7.50 to win.

Allerage Farm Three-year-old filly trot

Quincy Blue Chip gave Morrill Jr. his second straight sire stakes championship and turned the tables on Winndevie (Bartlett) from last year's sire stakes final, winning on the front-end in 1:56 1/5. Quincy Blue Chip was three-wide with Sweet Chapter (Kakaley) and Sensibility (Zeron) on the first turn, but when Sweet Chapter broke, Sensibility ducked into the pocket, allowing Quincy Blue Chip to stroll to the quarter in 28 3/5 and the half in just a minute flat.

The tempo picked up when Stella Jane (Corey Callahan) went first-up from third nearing the half, but Quincy Blue Chip repelled that bid to the 1:28 1/5 three-quarters, and a 28 3/5 final kicker got Quincy Blue Chip to the wire a length to the good. Winndevie worked out a second-over trip from post eight and was a rallying second, with Sensibility third.

"Those are that ones that I figured I could win. This filly happened to draw in a perfect spot," remarked Morrill Jr. "Pretty tough for the fillies from behind to catch me off those fractions."

Quincy Blue Chip, a daughter of Chapter Seven is owned by trainer Rich Banca in partnership with Barbara and James Boese. This was Quincy Blue Chip's 12th career victory, and she has now put away $675,430. She was the 6-5 second choice and returned $4.50 to win.

Cameo Hills Farm Three-year-old filly pace

Zero Tolerance (Morrill Jr.) didn't start in the sire stakes final last year, but she made amends by winning this final in 1:54 4/5. So Awesome (Tyler Buter) led through opening-half fractions of 28 2/5 and 58 1/5, but Zero Tolerance came first-over from third just past the half and advanced into the lead on the outside at the 1:26 1/5 three-quarters. Zero Tolerance continued to show an advantage around the last turn, then pulled clear in the lane to win by a length and three-quarters. Brooklyn Lilacs (Bongiorno) was up for second, and JK American Beauty (Zeron) collected third.

"He raced her great for not knowing her, but that's what top catch drivers do. The race was on at the half, and she came through," said winning trainer Joe Holloway. "She goes to Lexington for two weeks and then on to the Breeders Crown."

A Heston Blue Chip filly, Zero Tolerance is trained by Holloway for owners Val D'Or Farms and Ted Gewertz. Zero Tolerance made her 14th appearance in the winner's circle, and she has now put away $980,736. She paid $2.30 to win as the 1-9 favorite.

Robert J. Kane Invitational (older pacers)

Dorsoduro Hanover (Kakaley) hasn't had nearly as much success as a 4-year-old as he did last year, but he did win the $50,000 Kane Invitational tonight in 1:52 2/5. Our Max Phactor (Bartlett) got to the front heading to the 27 2/5 first quarter, then backed down the half to 57 seconds. Soutwind Amazon (Morrill Jr.) went first-over from third past the half and battled with Our Max Phactor to the 1:24 3/5 three-quarters, around the final bend, and into the stretch, but Dorsoduro Hanover fanned out three-wide in the lane and got up to win by three-parts of a length. Southwind Amazon was second, with Our Max Phactor third.

"That was a good mile with the cheap fractions up front for him to close into," said Kakaley. "He was really good."

Ron Burke trains Dorsoduro Hanover, who underwent a recent throat surgery, for owners Burke Racing Stable LLC., J&T Silva- Purnel & Libby, Weaver Bruscemi LLC., and Wingfield Brothers LLC. Dorsoduro Hanover made his 15th appearance in the winner's circle, and he has now stashed away $1,449,151. He was the even-money favorite and returned $4.30 to win.