Toscano trio tops NYSS at Batavia Wednesday
Written by Dan Fischer on August 21, 2018
(Photo courtesy of Frances Blazer/Fotowon)
Press Release:
By Tim Bojarski, for Batavia Downs
Linda Toscano, who is on the ballot for enshrinement in the Harness Racing Hall of Fame this year, will be bringing three of her best Empire State-bred diagonal distaffers to compete in two divisions of the $119,300 New York Sires Stakes (NYSS) for 3-year-old trotting fillies.
The NYSS events are carded as race three and five. There are also three $15,000 Excelsior “A” races on the program that go as race one, seven and eight. Post time for the first race in 5 p.m.
The first NYSS division goes for $59,100 and Toscano will be starting Repentance (Chapter Seven-Swan Hot Mama) who will be getting a lot of attention for several of her perfomrances this year.
Repentance comes in off a big mile at the Meadowlands on Hambo day where she cut the three-quarters in 1:23.4 before finishing a respectable fourth to Basquiat who won in 1:51.2. Earlier this year she finished third in an elimination of the Empire Breeders Classic (EBC) at Tioga Downs and then fourth in the final behind eventual Hambletonian winner Atlanta, in an all-time track record time of 1:50.3.
Scott Zeron, who drove Atlanta to those EBC and Hambletonian victories, will be picking up the lines behind Repentance on Wednesday from post three at 5-2.
Her main competition looks to be Fury Road (Muscle Mass-Bar Ballad) who has earned just under $60,000 this year on the strength of two NYSS wins and Golden Muscle (Muscle Mass-Golden Goose) who also competed well in the EBC but has yet to win a NYSS event this year.
Toscano also has two fillies in the second NYSS division that goes for $60,200.
Lima Novelty (Chapter Seven-No Pictures Please) won four out of five stake events in June and July and they account for her lofty earnings of $104,093 so far this year. She also took a lifetime mark of 1:52.1 in one of those wins at the Meadowlands on July 7 from post 12.
Two weeks later Lima Novelty was in an elimination of the Hambletonian Oaks where she acquitted herself well. Unfortunately she was forced to chase a :54.4 back half from mid-pack and didn’t make the final.
Lima Novelty’s last start was on an off track at Yonkers after which she took a two week sabbatical. She comes back here rested, well spotted and looking for win number five of the season.
Zeron gets the call and the pylons behind Lima Novelty and the pair is highly regarded morning line at 9-5.
Stablemate Tribute To Seven (Chapter Seven-Southwind Confetti) has only missed the board one time all year going eight out of nine including three wins; two of which were in NYSS action. She is the second leading money winner in this race with $73,359 earned for the year and is currently third in points in this series, just ahead of Lima Novelty.
Drew Monti drew post two with Tribute To Seven and is listed at 5-2 by the track handicapper.
The main competition for Toscano’s pair appears to be Natalie Hanover (Chapter Seven-Nanticoke Hanover) who comes in sharp off a NYSS win at Yonkers in 1:56.3 and will look to upset the two favorites and take the major share home with her instead.
