Who says racing fans won’t bet on two-year-old trotters? Certainly no one from Monticello Raceway.
On Thursday, July 25, racing fans, both on and off-track, wagered over $785,000 on the card which featured eight races for freshmen trotting fillies in the $130,000 New York Sires Stakes and the $50,000 Excelsior Series. And two weeks earlier, with a betting card which featured two-year-old trotting colts in NYSS and Excelsior Series action, fans poured over $995,000 through the betting machines.
Of the four $32,662 NYSS filly trots on Thursday, arguably the most impressive winner was Larry Dumain and Carlo Lattinelli’s L Dees Scripture who was driven to a 2:00.3 victory by Andy Miller in what was the filly’s second lifetime start.
Miller also won another division when he guided Annies List home first in 2:02.4. A third split was won by Maud Blue Chip in 2:01.2 for Cat Manzi, while the forth NYSS division saw Jason Bartlett catch-drive Ruby Ruby Who to a 2:02.1 triumph.
Although all the winning fillies went outstanding miles, especially so early in their careers, L Dees Scripture's victory stood out.
Trained by Julie Miller and driven by hubby Andy, the daughter of Credit Winner-Graceful Way went wire-to-wire from the pole position. She trotted every quarter in around 30 seconds and finished one and a half lengths ahead of Exotic Form, a daughter of Malabar Man-Form Fitting driven by Dan Daley.
L Dees Scripture won her first lifetime start at Tioga Downs on July 18 in 1:58.3. Her first qualifying race had come five days earlier when Miller guided her to a 1:58.4 triumph at the Meadowlands Racetrack.
“She’s a real nice filly and she does everything right,” Miller said of L Dees Scripture, whom he said he had trained on a half-mile track before starting her in the NYSS.
She returned $2.60 on a successful Win wager.
(With files from Monticello)