Howlenthehills and Boston Rocks dominated the New York Sire Stakes (NYSS) glamour boy divisions on Monday, July 22, winning by a combined 15 lengths in the fastest miles of the season over Monticello Raceway.
Howlenthehills earned his third NYSS victory to remain undefeated in the state-bred program this season while just missing the divisional track record by a tick in 1:52.1 with Matt Kakaley driving for trainer Travis Alexander.
Starting from the inside post in the first $78,082 division, Howlenthehills was sent off as the heavy 1-9 betting favourite in his five-horse field. Texas Holdem (Mark MacDonald) was quickest off the gate from post five and tried to cross over to command, but Howlenthehills shot through inside coming out of the first turn. At that point, Escape To America (Jason Barlett) made a break in third. Once on top, Howlinthehills dictated the pace and reeled off fractions of :28, :57.1 and 1:25 then doubled his leading margin to six lengths with a :27.1 final frame. Texas Holdem won the race for place, holding off Ameritric (Scott Zeron) and Spring Blake (Greg Merton).
Sporting an ultra-impressive resume this season, the Crawford Farms-bred son of American Ideal-Arielle Lynn notched his seventh win in eight starts after a winless rookie campaign to lift his career earnings to $365,443 for owner Symmetry Stables of Pleasant Valley, New York. Returning to action off a runner-up finish in the Messenger Stakes on June 28 at Yonkers Raceway, he paid $2.10 to win.
The reigning NYSS divisional champion Boston Rocks continued his winning ways in the $79,589 second division with a nine-length romp in 1:52.3 for trainer Mike Deters with Jason Bartlett along for the ride.
Boston Rocks controlled his destiny in a straightforward manner, leaving from post four and extending his lead over his opponents at every station. The fractions went in :28.1, :56.4 and 1:24.2 with a :28.1 final quarter at the end putting the 1-9 favourite well ahead of runner-up Vandiemen Bluechip (Braxten Boyd) and Taranaki (Mike Merton).
The homebred Boston Red Rocks-Scirocco Sarah colt earned his second NYSS victory of the year and is now four-for-eight this season. An eight-time winner in his career, Boston Rocks topped the $500,000 mark in earnings for owners Peter Blood and Rick Berks. He paid $2.10 to win.
Scott Zeron drove three Excelsior Series winners on Monday, scoring with Seen Here (1:55.3) for trainer Mark Harder, Dealers Turn (1:54.3) for the Tom Fanning stable and Printville (1:54.2) for conditioner George Ducharme. The other $27,397 Excelsior division went to the John Berger-trained Bruces VO N Coke (1:54.2), driven by Jim Taggart Jr.
(With files from Monticello Raceway; Photo of Howlenthehills from a previous win at Saratoga Raceway)