Monticello Raceway will host the fourth leg of New York Sire Stakes on Monday, August 1, when the two-year-old trotting colts visit the famed Catskill Mountains oval. On tap are two heats of NYSS, going for a purse of $54,500 in each division. The card also includes two $15,000 splits of Excelsior A class and two $6,500 classes of Excelsior B.

Installed as the 5-2 morning line favourite is Wild Bill Keslo (PP3). He has a Sire Stakes win at Buffalo Raceway in 2:01.2. Last start, he finished second to the highly-touted Crown. He will be driven by Wally Hennessey for trainer Jim Campbell.

The Gruffalo (pictured above) is the points leader in his division by virtue of his back-to-back NYSS wins at Saratoga and Vernon, where he scorched the track and took his lifetime record of 1:56.4. The son of Chapter Seven is trained by Mark Harder. He will score from Post 6 with Tyler Buter in the bike. Barney Goldstein (PP2) has also earned a Sire Stakes blanket with a win at Saratoga in 2:01.2.

The second heat goes for $53,500 with a full field of eight. The Strawboss comes into the race with a pair of place performances in NYSS competition. The Joe Skowyra-trained son of Conway Hall will start from Post 8 and will be driven by Jimmy Devaux. Met Your Request is the co-favourite. The son of Mets Hall made a miscue in his last start at Vernon Downs, but he was a winner in his prior start at Saratoga and was a winner in the Excelsior series at Buffalo. Tyler Miller will handle the driving for trainer Julie Miller.

Kierkegaard K will benefit from the inside post position this week, where he will start from Post 3. In his prior starts, he was saddled with the outside post and was always on the hunt.   Ake Svanstedt will drive the son of Chapter Seven for owners Knutsson Trotting of Delray Beach, Florida.

The track record for this group is 1:58, which is held by Fourth Dimension, who was the voted 2017 U.S. Two-Year-Old Trotter of the Year.

(Monticello)