The final New York Sire Stakes (NYSS) of 2023 at Monticello Raceway took place on Monday afternoon (Aug. 28) with two-year-old trotting colt Keep Asking closing out the regular season.

Trained by George Ducharme and driven by Jordan Stratton, Keep Asking was a repeat winner in the NYSS, taking Monday's lone $104,400 event.

Titan Your Grip was on the muscle from post position three in the six-horse contest and was up by five lengths at the first quarter in :28.4. His lead was diminished to just over one length at the half in 1:00.2, with the 2-5 favourite Keep Asking in the two-hole. Down the backside, the second time around, Stratton and Keep Asking were on the move when they straightened out with a :29.2 third panel and collared the leader. Keep Asking stormed home an easy 3-1/4-length winner in 1:59 flat over Super Duper Cooper. There was a dead heat for third between Titan Your Grip and Chaplind.

The win pushed Keep Asking’s seasonal earnings over $148,000 for owners W J Donovan, Joe Sbrocco, Jim Winske and George Ducharme Stable. The Chapter Seven colt improved his record to 2-1-1 from six starts -- all in NYSS action.

Fresh off his maiden victory on Aug. 18 in the Vernon Downs leg, Keep Asking paid $2.80 to win.

Ducharme also won a $20,000 Excelsior division, with the Crazy Wow colt Woweress ($16.60) prevailing by a head over But Why in 1:58.1 -- one-fifth of a second off the divisional track record -- for owner/breeder Purple Haze Stables. Frank Affrunti was the winning driver.

Crazy Wow offspring swept the Excelsior splits as Stratton drove Crazy Brother Jim ($20.40) to a 2:00 victory for trainer Rock Vinci while the other division went to Fringed ($14) and trainer/driver Dan Daley in 1:59.

(With files from Monticello Raceway)