While many of the upper echelon New York-sired trotting fillies were absent due to competing in the Delvin Miller Memorial over the weekend at The Meadowlands, Sister Mary Maude made short work of a short field on Monday, July 15 in a $152,603 New York Sire Stakes (NYSS) for three-year-old trotting fillies at Monticello Raceway.
Sister Mary Maude, the heavy 1-9 favourite of four, ambled from the gate by driver Joe Bongiorno in no great hurry. She eventually made the top past the opening panel of :28.2 over Sadbirdstillsing (Jason Bartlett). From that point, she controlled the tempo through moderate splits of :58.4 and 1:28.2. Sister Mary Maude was well in command throwing down a last quarter of :28.1 to seal the deal by 2-1/2 lengths in 1:56.3 over the pocket-sitting Sadbirdstillsing, with Hippie Shack (Tyler Buter) and Seven Year Itch (Jordan Stratton) completing the quartet.
After five consecutive runner-up finishes to start her sophomore season, Sister Mary Maude has put together back-to-back wins in the NYSS for trainer Ron Burke. The Crazy Wow-Perfect Mass filly has accumulated $235,328 in those seven starts for owners Burke Racing Stable, William Switala, James Martin and Weaver Bruscemi.
Three $27,397 divisions of the Excelsior Series also went postward on the Monday card with Tyler Buter scoring a driving double in the stakes event with Nymeria (1:56.4) for the Travis Alexander stable and Dozen (1:59.1) for trainer Nancy Takter. The other split went to Erin and trainer/driver Dan Daley in 1:58.
(With files from Monticello Raceway; Photo of Sister Mary Maude from a previous win)