On Monday, July 21, the premier division of the New York Sire Stakes (NYSS) rolls into Monticello with three-year-old pacing colts taking centre stage at the Mighty M.
When Race Secretary Eric Warner opened the box, he had enough entries to go with two dashes of NYSS worth at least $58,800 USD and four $20,000 USD races for the Excelsior class. The 11-race card gets underway at 12:10 p.m.
The first NYSS event heads postward in the second race with five starters facing the starting gate. Fast Choice (PP3, Jason Bartlett, 5-2) is the morning line favourite. The son of Courtly Choice, still seeking his first seasonal win, has tangled with the big boys competing in both the Messenger and North America Cup for trainer Jared Bako. Oogleville (PP1, Jordan Stratton, 7-2) is making his eighth start at eight different tracks on Monday. In 10 seasonal starts, he is 3-3-1 for trainer Per Engblom. Thirsty Thursday (PP5, Tyler Buter, 3-1) has one NYSS win on his resume this year, and last year he finished second in the $304,054 NYSS Final.
The second division, carded as the eighth race, is a six-horse field and features the top two leading divisional point earners. The leading point earner is Courtly Choice son Courts On Fire (PP4, Brett Beckwith, 3-1) with two Sire Stakes wins to his credit this season for trainer Blake MacIntosh at Saratoga and Vernon Downs. Dune Buggy (PP3, Greg Merton, 7-2) is ranked second; he scored in a NYSS event earlier this season at Buffalo Raceway and is a three-time winner this year. The son of Huntsville is trained by Nick Devita. Dandy Deal (PP2, Bartlett, 5-2) has banked $104,583 thus far this season, and he took his lifetime mark of 1:48.2 in his last start at Pocono Downs. The son of American Ideal is trained by Hunter Oakes.
The four Excelsior races are carded as Races 4, 7, 9 and 10.
(with files from Monticello)