On Monday, July 15, Monticello Raceway will showcase some of the state's best three-year-old trotting fillies with a single New York Sire Stakes event and three divisions of the Excelsior Stakes. This is the sixth leg of an eight-leg series before the NYSS finals at Vernon Downs on Sept. 13.
The NYSS race is carded as the sixth race, featuring a compact field of four heading postward for the $111,400 USD purse. A winner in NYSS action last year at Monticello, Sister Mary Maude (pictured above) has been installed as the early morning line 4-5 favourite. The daughter of Crazy Wow scored her first win of the season in her last start at Buffalo Raceway in 1:57.4 in this class, and she is the second leading point earner in her division behind R Melina. Sister Mary Maude will score from post four on Monday for driver Joe Bongiorno.
Second choice Sadbirdstillsing (PP2, 8-5) will be driven by Jason Bartlett for trainer Tony Alagna. A winner of more than $140,000 this season, the daughter of Chapter Seven scored in the first NYSS of the season at Yonkers Raceway where she toured the half-mile oval in 1:58.4.
The three $20,000 USD Excelsior races are carded as races one, three and eight.
(with files from Monticello Raceway)