Monticello Raceway hosted its first New York Sire Stakes (NYSS) of the 2025 season on Monday, June 2 with Bjms Lil Man and driver Tyler Buter winning the $163,973 event for three-year-old trotting colts and geldings.
After winning at the Excelsior Series level in his last start at Vernon Downs, Bjms Lil Man (Devious Man-Vixen) moved up in class with no issue as the 3-5 favourite scored a 1:55.4 front-end victory for trainer John Berger.
Bjms Lil Man worked to clear inside leaver Happy Jack B (Scott Zeron) through a :28.1 opening panel and then set middle splits of :58 and 1:26.3 en route to the 1-3/4-length victory over a pair of 45-1 longshot maidens trained by Noel Daley, Seven Layer (Niko Karna) and Seismic Step (Jordan Stratton).
Owned by Joseph Meaney of Crestwood, New York, Bjms Lil Man in now three-for-three to start his sophomore campaign after earning more than $200,000 as a rookie with five wins from eight starts, including a pair of NYSS divisions.
Buter also picked up a victory in the Excelsior Series, with Fiddlers Creek Stable's homebred Habanero Blues (E L Titan-Habanero Honey) winning his second straight division in 1:58.1 by half a length over favourite Low Inside (Dan Daley). The Travis Alexander trainee was the Excelsior divisional champion last year.
The other $27,397 Excelsior race was won by 12-1 shot Doctor Strange and trainer/driver John Stark Jr., upsetting Big City Elwood (Ridge Warren) in 1:58.2. Stark also co-owns the Mets Hall-Flotus gelding with David Smith and James Giannuzzi.
The next NYSS event at Monticello is slated for June 23, for two-year-old trotting fillies.
(With files from Monticello Raceway)