Divisions of the New York Sire Stakes for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings will be the feature attraction on Monticello Raceway's 15-race card on Thursday
, June 10.
The 33 entries were split into five divisions and will go as Races 2, 4, 5, 8 and 9.
A bevy of local colts will be vying for their share of the big purse money, but their best will be needed to be a factor in each event. Arguably the one with the best chance — and credentials — is Gone Baby Gone, a multiple NYSS stakes winner last year who is trained by Gary Messenger.
The gelding won a qualifier at Yonkers Raceway on April 30, but was disappointing in his first attempt going for the money.
“After his qualifier he got sick and raced badly in his first start at Yonkers on May 10," Messenger explained. "We scoped him after that race and found he had a lung infection and we treated him. We waited two weeks and then started him at Monticello on May 25, and though he raced a lot better he still wasn’t himself.”
Messenger went on to say that many horses in his barn had taken sick this spring. Those horses included Tross The Way, another gelding that Messenger will race in the NYSS on Thursday.
“He (Tross The Way) had also been sick but he seems better now," Messenger added. "In fact last week we trained both him and Gone Baby Gone together in 2:02 to jog carts and they both seem really good now. We even scoped them after that training mile and they showed no signs of mucous."
Gone Baby Gone will start from Post 4 in the eighth race, while Tross the Way is in Race 4 and will start from Post 2.
Zeke Parker will pilot both colts.
First-race post time for the 15-race card will be 12:50 p.m.
(With files from Monticello)