With the temperature hovering around 91 degrees Fahrenheit and the track lightning fast, juvenile New York-bred trotting fillies were front and centre at Monticello Raceway with five NYSS divisions and three $12,800 splits of the Excelsior Series.
Right out of the box in the very first $28,362 NYSS split, a new track record was established by Lady Riviera when Ron Pierce guided her to a 1:59.2 triumph. The homebred daughter of Sand Vic-La Riviera Lindy knocked one full second off the former mark of 2:00.2, set by Jezzy in 2010.
Content to sit back off the quick early pace Pierce got his filly started when he moved her behind cover as the field passed the three-eighths pole. After a three-wide move as the field headed around the final turn, Lady Riviera trotted by the pace-setting Americash Express (driven by Trevor Henry) and went on to a very easy five-length victory. Single Rock (Dan Daley) finished second and Fifty Shades (Eric Goodell) third.
In victory, Lady Riviera trotted the first-ever sub-2:00 mile by a two-year-old trotting filly at Monticello, and her final time was also two-fifths of a second faster than the colts' track mark of 1:59.4, which was set by RC Royalty in 2005.
Sent off as the 1-4 post-time favourite, Lady Riviera paid $2.50 for the win.
Other winners in Monticello's NYSS action were Lola De Vie (2:01.4), Proclaiming April (2:01), Barn Babe (2:01.4) and Crazy Eyes (2:02.1).
Three $12,800 Excelsior Series races were also contested and we re won by One Sharp Chick (2:01.4), Pretty Crazy (2:03.1) and Dancing Louisa (2:03).
(With files from Monticello)