Hes Watching will be in action this coming Monday night at Yonkers Raceway during the New York Sire Stakes Jim Crawford Pace for two-year-old colts and geldings. The event has combined purses of $233,087.
Three divisions -- worth $77,229, $77,229 and $78,629, respectively – will comprise the stakes event (Race 1, 3 and 4)..
Hes Watching will put his six-for-six resume on the line from Post 5. Jim Morrill Jr. will again be performing the driving duties for trainer Dave Menary, who also co-owns the world record-holding American Ideal colt with Brad Gray and Michael Guerrero.
Among He's Watching's six-pack of wins was an open-length, 1:54.2 romp at Yonkers last month, after which Morrill said, "I couldn't have gone any slower."
‘Slower’ is not a word used in conjunction with this $3,000 yearling. Since that victory, there were wins at Vernon and Batavia, the latter made a bit more interesting by the emergence of All Bets Off.
All Bets Are Off, a son of Bettors Delight, made Hes Watching work for it earlier this month, as he was beaten just three-quarters of a length in a solid, two-move effort. All Bets Off – who will be making his first start Monday for trainer Ron Burke -- drew into the same event at Hes Watching at Yonkers, with George Brennan doing the driving honours from Post 2. Burke (as Burke Racing) bought into the colt after his last start (sale pending, according to the US Trotting Association).
Stay Up Late (David Miller, Post 6) strung together consecutive NYSS wins (Tioga and Yonkers) last month.
Monday's opening grouping is led by Big Boy Dreams (Morrill Jr., Post 2) and Design Guru (Brennan, Post 5), while Twin B Speedo (Brian Sears, Post 1) won the draw -- and early favouritism -- in what shapes up a competitive second division.
(With files from Yonkers)