Driver Tyler Buter and trainer George Ducharme teamed up for back-to-back wins in New York Sire Stakes-Excelsior competition and set a new track record in the process as Keep Asking won his division in 1:56 on Monday, June 3.
Keep Asking established a new track record for three-year-old trotting colts, eclipsing the old record of 1:56.1. The former record was set by Money Macintosh and Neon Lights on the same day on July 17, 2017.
The Buter-Ducharme double started with Woweress (Crazy Wow-Chaperess), who scored in his $27,397 division of the Excelsior Series in 1:58.1, paying $13.80 for the upset win, for owner and breeder Purple Haze Stables, LLC of Fairport, New York.
In the following race, an $80,822 division of the Sire Stakes, favourite Keep Asking started from the rail and was content to let Super Duper Cooper (Jason Bartlett) cut the mile after stringing him out a tad before he made the top in :28.2. Positions remained unchanged through splits of :58 and 1:27.3. Keep Asking popped out of the two-hole in the paddock turn and Nottingham (Marcus Miller) dove into the passing lane with Super Duper Cooper still on the lead. Keep Asking found another gear late in the lane to get the win and establish a new track record of 1:56. Super Duper Cooper finished a half-length back with Nottingham rounding out the top three.
A winner of six races from 11 starts as a freshman, Keep Asking won his third sophomore start to boost his bankroll to $335,372. The Chapter Seven-Sensibility colt is owned by W.J. Donavan, Joe Sbrocco, Jim Winske and George Ducharme Stable.
The second $79,589 Sire Stakes division was won by heavy favourite Sir Pinocchio in 1:56.3 with Jason Bartlett driving for trainer Ed Hart.
Titan Your Grip and Unscripted both made breaks behind the gate and knocked themselves out of contention. Chaplind (Tyle Buter) was the first to the lead briefly as Dexter Cup winner Sir Pinocchio and Bartlett took control and posted soft opening panels of :29.1 and :59.1. Down the backside, Fly By (Scott Zeron) was the first to pull and mount a challenge at the next stanza in 1:28.1. Turning for home, Chaplind made a break and Fly By made a strong attempt at the leader with a :27.4 kicker, but it was too late, as Sir Pinocchio held on for the one-length win in 1:56.3. Crazy Brother Jim (Jim Marohn Jr.) finished back in third.
An Excelsior Series champion as a two-year-old, Sir Pinocchio earned his first NYSS victory and now boasts three wins and two seconds from five seasonal starts. The homebred son of Mets Hall-Lady Cromwell pushed his bankroll to $210,836 with the victory for owner Carolyn Atherton of Scarsdale, New York.
In the other Excelsior Series divisions, the Paul Kelley-trained Sky Box (E L Titan-Goddess) and driver Brent Holland scored in 1:57.4 and Seven Minutes Abs (Chapter Seven-Fitness Girl) won in 2:00.4 for trainer/driver Claude Huckabone III.
(With files from Monticello Raceway)