Not wasting any time, the Empire State’s glamour boys will begin the downstate New York Sire Stakes season this coming Monday night (July 10), as Yonkers Raceway will host the Hugh Grant Pace for three-year-old colts and geldings.

A quartet of divisions — which have been carded as Races 2, 4, 5 and 6 — will highlight the 12-race card. The program will kick off with the track’s usual evening first post of 7:10 p.m.

The opening ($42,975) race appears up for grabs, as Manattack (to be driven by Chris Lems from Post 4) and Americas Fleet (Jason Bartlett, Post 5) each own second-place finishes in sire stakes competition. Whats Going On (Scott Zeron, Post 6) will be trying to regain some of his $172,000 freshman form.

The second ($42,175) grouping figures to go through Funknwaffles (Corey Callahan, Post 3), who is looming as the shortest price of the state races. The American Ideal gelding trained by John Butenschoen for owner Crawford Racing chased home division-dominating Fear The Dragon in last Saturday’s half-million-dollar Hempt Memorial at Pocono. Funknwaffles was a handy NYSS winner at Vernon after having finished third locally in late May’s $300,000 Art Rooney Pace.

Statebred division three ($42,175) will see Heavens Gait (David Miller, Post 1) hit town off his win in the $75,000 consolation of the Hempt. The Rock N Roll Heaven colt owned by John Cummins and trained by Nicholas Devita has a spiffy 1:49 NYSS win at Vernon to his credit.

American Wiggle (Scott Zeron, Post 2) threw down a 36-1 NYSS upset (at Vernon in a life’s best 1:51) two starts ago, while Serious Major (Jim Morrill Jr., Post 6) has a win and a second (both at odds-on) in his two sire stakes tries. He will race for his third different trainer (Brian Brown, Chris Ryder, Ron Burke) in as many starts.

Twin B Cowboy (Mark MacDonald, Post 4) owns a pair of thirds in sire stakes competition this season.

Monday night’s final ($42,175) Empire excursion will feature In A Single Bound (Billy Dobson, Post 3), the Roll With Joe gelding will be eyeing a third consecutive (NYSS) victory and a sixth win in eight seasonal starts.

(Yonkers Raceway)