Bartlett back at Batavia for NYSS action Thursday

After winning a total of five races at Batavia Downs last Saturday (July 26), including the lone New York Sire Stake event and two Excelsior races, the second-leading dash winning driver in North America, Jason Bartlett, will be back in Genesee County to sit behind two of the fastest second-year side-wheelers on record this year to compete in the New York Sire Stakes for 3-year-old colt and gelding pacers in split sets for a total of $114,900 in purses. And based on these horses recent performances, the Batavia track record could be in danger.

The first $56,900 division is race six and features Fast Choice (Courtly Choice-Fashion Guru), who comes into the race with an impressive body of work in a small amount of starts.

Fast Choice has only raced five times this year but has made the most of those opportunities. After finishing second in his first NYSS start at Saratoga in 1:52.4, Fast Choice competed in the $740,000 North America Cup at Woodbine where he flew from eighth at three-quarters to finish third by only a length to Louprint, who won in 1:47.1. That time is the fastest recorded by a pacer of any age in North America in 2025 and has seen Louprint sit atop the Hambletonian/Breeders Crown top-10 poll ever since. Fast Choice was race-timed in 1:47.2.

Fast Choice dealt with some sickness shortly after that start, but has since qualified back and won his most recent start in a NYSS race at Monticello in a sharp 1:53 clocking, giving him his fastest career win over a half-mile track and that bodes well for him coming into this race at Batavia.

Trained by Jared Bako and driven by Jason Bartlett, Fast Choice will start from post two on Thursday (July 31).

Courts On Fire (Courtly Choice-Ashlee’s Spitfire), who was the 2-year-old NYSS male pacing champion, has speed to burn as well and uses it well over any size track. After winning his first NYSS race this year at Saratoga in a lifetime best 1:52.2 back in May, Courts On Fire has since lowered that mark twice in a NYSS race at Vernon, timed in 1:50 and an overnight race at Woodbine Mohawk Park where he won easily in 1:49.1. Courts On Fire leads this division for points (108) and is second for earnings ($77,028) and that further illustrates his ability among this group.

Thirsty Thursday (Huntsville-Tequila Monday) similarly took an early season record of 1:52.2 at Saratoga in the NYSS and then registered a new lifetime mark of 1:50.4 in an overnight at Harrah’s Philly and is spotted well in this field.

Courts On Fire drew post three for trainer Blake Macintosh and driver Jim Morrill Jr. and Thirsty Thursday starts from pylon position for trainer Hunter Oakes with Tyler Buter at the lines.

The second group will line up for $58,000 in race eight and Dandy Ideal (American Ideal-OK Heavenly) is the hot horse coming in.

After making a break in his first start of the year as a heavy favorite in the NYSS at Saratoga, Dandy Ideal has been on the Grand Circuit. He was beaten only 5-1/4 lengths by Louprint in the previously mentioned 1:47.1 North America Cup mile, then finished second by only a head to Twisted Destiny in the $200,000 MGM at Yonkers. He then followed that up with an eye-popping 1:48.2 win at Pocono where he took a new lifetime mark and made him the fourth fastest 3-year-old pacer in North America this year. That mile also missed the Pocono track record for 3-year-old pacing geldings by only 2/5th’s of a second.

In his most recent start, Dandy Ideal scorched the oval in a NYSS race at Monticello timed in 1:52.2, which was the fastest mile of the year over the Catskill oval. With his speed and versatility, Dandy Ideal will be tough to beat.

Dandy Ideal has drawn post three and trainer Hunter Oakes has his regular driver Jason Bartlett in the bike once again.

Another player in this race is Dune Buggy (Huntsville-Dune In Red) and he has drawn the favorable post one. After making his lone Grand Circuit start this year at Plainridge Park where he finished second in the $100,000 Paul Revere Pace, Dune Buggy has since been the leader in earnings ($81,855) and sits second for points (85) in this division of the NYSS. Plus he boasts the second fastest lifetime mark in this race on the strength of his 1:50.3 victory at Pocono earlier this year.

Matt Kakaley will drive for trainer Nicholas Devita.

There are also two $20,000 Excelsior Series paces carded as races two and four. Post time for the first race is 6 p.m.