Monticello Raceway’s New York Sire Stakes season will kick off on Friday, June 6 when the three-year-old pacing fillies come into town. The races will be the second stop for the sophomores en route to their $225,000 NYSS Final which will take place at Yonkers Raceway in September.
On tap Friday are four divisions of the NYSS, each for approximately $30,000, and a pair of $12,500 Excelsior ‘A’ splits and two $6,000 Excelsior ‘B’ divisions.
Headlining the NYSS paces is the locally-trained Bettor Chill Out from the Bruce Borden barn. The filly won a NYSS event on May 30 at Vernon Downs in 1:52. Bettor Chill Out will start from Post 4 in Race 3 and pilot Jeff Gregory will handle the driving chores for Borden and owner Joe Meany.
Another locally-owned filly, Just Add Vodka, figures to be among the favourites in her NYSS split. Jim Morrill Jr. will do the driving honours and the pair will start from Post 2 in Race 2. The daughter of Art Major was a 1:58.4 winner in March at Yonkers Raceway and finished third at Vernon Downs last Saturday in a 1:52.4 mile. She’s owned by Blue Chip Bloodstock, Dr. Herbie Burns, Steve Demeter and Nahuel Agosti.
However, Just Add Vodka might encounter stiff competition from Medusa, a Bettors Choice filly. Medusa is owned by W.J. Donavan and has won five of her six starts this year. Chris Lems will handle the driving chores from Post 5.
Sweetnsinful, a $219,000 winner with a 1:52.3 mark taken as a freshman, made an inauspicious NYSS debut last Saturday, as she finished back in a 1:52 mile at Vernon Downs. However, she figures to be better this week now that she‘s had a race under her belt. Owned by Homer and Connie Hochstetler and James Michaels, the American Ideal filly will be driven by Jimmy Whittemore and they’ll leave from Post 4.
Although, don’t put a circle around Sweetnsinful’s name just yet. She’ll have to contend with Scandalicious, who was a 1.54.3 winner at Harrah’s Philadelphia on March 8. Also a daughter of American Ideal, Scandalicious will have Dan Dube in the sulky when they start from Post 5.
Blush Hanover figures to be the best in the final NYSS split despite having to start from Post 7. The Linda Toscano-trained Art Major filly has three wins and two seconds in five starts. Owned by Stake Your Claim Stable, Seth Coen and George Derocker she’ll get the driving services of Jim Morrill Jr.
In that contest, Lotza Matzah will probably get the attention of hunch bettors on just her name alone, since the ‘Mighty M’ is in the former Borscht Belt, but she brings along a 1:52.4 record taken at Pocono Downs on May 20. Trainer Eddie Hart assigned Jason Bartlett to drive and they’ll start from Post 4. Another American Ideal filly, Lotza Matzah is owned by Blue Chip Bloodstock, Daniel Zucker, Steve Demeter and Christine Sallee.
The Excelsior Stakes will make a nice undercard on a day when all the races feature New York-bred sophomore pacing fillies.
First post will be at 12:50 p.m.
(Monticello)