Saratoga Harness: Favorites rule in NYSS for sophomore male trotters

World At War Deo and Slay scored as heavy favorites in two $82,500 New York Sire Stakes flights for sophomore trotting colts and geldings on Sunday night at Saratoga Casino Hotel.

In the first split World At War Deo (Wally Hennessey) got away in the pocket but came to the outside before the 28 2/5 opening quarter and wrestled command away from Perfect Titan (Jim Devaux) after that station. Once he landed on the engine, World At War Deo continued to show the way through a 58 1/5 half and a 1:27 2/5 three-quarters, and he slammed the door on the competition with a 28 4/5 final kicker, defeating Velvet Style (Jordan Stratton) by a length and three-quarters in 1:56 1/5. Perfect Titan wound up third.

Ron Burke trains World At War Deo, a Chapter Seven colt bred by Deo Volente Farms, for owners Burke Racing Stable LLC. and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. World At War Deo, who was making his first start for the Burke Brigade, has six career victories, has now pocketed $171,624, and paid $2.80 to win as the 2-5 favorite.

The second division went pretty much the same way as Slay (Joe Bongiorno) tipped out of the two-hole on the way to the 28 2/5 first quarter and passed Chapheart (Trond Smedshammer) beyond that marker. Slay would then race on a loose lead through middle-half panels of 58 and 1:26 before trotting home in 28 3/5 to defeat a first-over Molotov Cocktail (Brian Sears) by a length and a half in 1:54 3/5. Chapheart cbecked in third.

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Another Chapter Seven colt, Slay was bred by Jonas Schlabach and is owned by Crawford Farms Racing and James Crawford IV. Slay is now a five-time winner from 16 career starts, and he has now put away $316,776. He returned $3.40 to win as the 3-5 favorite.