Forty Five Red, the 1:55.4 winner of the $111,250 Sheppard final, will be among the 25 sophomore colt and gelding pacers that will be featured in New York Sire Stakes action at Monticello Raceway on Thursday, August 1.

The four NYSS splits, each of which will carry a purse of over $32,000, will be accompanied by five $12,700 divisions of Excelsior Series action featuring freshmen pacing colts.

Although Forty Five Red, a son of If I Can Dream-Sekura Hanover, has already bankrolled over $84,000 in just three starts, it’ll be no cake-walk for trainer Ron Burke when they face the Linda Toscano-conditioned Murder He Wrote. The latter, a roan son of Kenneth J-JK Dancing Queen, is undefeated in two lifetime starts and can brag of a 1:53.1 triumph in the Geers Stakes at Tioga Downs on July 19.

Forty Five Red will start from the two-hole with Yannick Gingras aboard, while Murder He Wrote will start from Post 5 with Tim Tetrick in the pilot’s seat. The two youngsters will square off in the eighth race on the 'Mighty M' card.

The racing program will open with arguably the most competitive of the four NYSS events.

Ideal Trick, a son of American Ideal-Special Magic from the Tony Alagna barn, already has a 1:53.3 record which was taken in a qualifier at the Meadowlands Racetrack on July 13 and will start from the pole with Tim Tetrick aboard.

But competition will loom from both Western Conquest and All Bets Off. The former, an Erv Miller-trained son of American Ideal-Aries Conquest, sports two wins from three starts, the fastest a 1:55.2 effort at Pocono Downs on June 20. The latter, a Mike Sinclair-trained son of Bettors Delight-Armbro Penelope, won his last start in 1:54 at Tioga Downs on July 21.

Western Conquest will start from Post 3 for driver Marcus Miller. Fern Paquet Jr. will be up behind All Bets Off when they start from Post 6.

In the fifth race, another NYSS pace, Jim Morrill Jr.’s New York Bets, a Bettors Delight-Absolutely Cam gelding, will tangle with Ray Schnittker’s Im All Heart, who is also an altered son of Bettors Delight.

New York Bets owns a half-mile track record of 1:56.1 taken at Saratoga Raceway on June 28. Im All Heart comes in off a 1:54.3 qualifying victory at the Meadowlands on July 20.

However the Bob Rice-trained Keystone Honor deserves a look in that contest. The Bettors Delight-Heavenly Killean ridgling will be making his first pari-mutuel start after three consecutive qualifying victories at Harrah’s Chester, the fastest a 1:56 effort on July 23. Tim Tetrick will handle the driving chores from Post 5.

In the fourth and final NYSS event (Race 12) the Jimmy Takter-trained Thereisapaceforus is the early favourite from Post 5. Yannick Gingras will drive the son of American Ideal-Lchaim

The five Excelsior Series dashes have been carded as Race 4, 6, 9, 11 and 13.

First-race post time for the 14-dash card will be at 12:50 p.m.

(With files from Monticello)