Six divisions of New York Sire Stakes for two-year-old trotting fillies, each racing for a purse of approximately $34,000, showcased the Monticello Raceway card on Wednesday.
When the action was over, Naughty Nana, Beachcomber, Sister Marcy, Shes So Savvy, Honorable Daughter, and New Hampshire Girl each emerged victorious in their respective splits.
Though each of the division winners looked real classy in trotting to victory, no doubt the most impressive was Honorable Daughter, who scooted around the racetrack effortlessly and scored a remarkable 2:02 victory in her first start on the half-mile track after recording a 1:58.3 triumph over the Big M mile oval in the Acorn Stakes in her previous outing.
Jim Morrill Jr. was at the controls and eased Honorable Daughter, a $32,000 purchase at Lexington last fall, to the front and after they secured the lead, those who bet on her could have gone to get on line to collect.
Honorable Daughter trotted through fractions of :30.4, 1:00.3 and 1:31, and at that point, Morrill let the Malabar Man – Honorable Mother filly ramble.
"I didn't want to go that quick but she was hitting the wheel (with her left hind foot) and I didn't want to double her up because I was afraid she'd make a mistake," Morrill told co-owners Paolo Rossinelli and John Sienna in the winner's circle after the race. "She was on cruise control. I didn't even pull the (ear) plugs!"
The Ray & Larry Remmen-trained filly moves so effortlessly and glides along like an aged trotter. Never in doubt the entire mile, Honorable Daughter cruised to a seven and a half-length triumph over Carmen M and driver Gates Brunet.
In the first NYSS division, AC Crawford Futures' Naughty Nana trotted an extremely good mile and the filly made her first start over the half-mile track a winning one.
With Dan Daley at the controls, the Malabar Man – Naughty Sahbra filly romped to a nine-length triumph over D Ws Daisy in a 2:04.2 clocking.
"I just got this filly from Chip Noble and she looks like the real deal," Daley said after the race. "We were interfered with twice in the mile but she kept right at her work."
Naughty Nana trotted the last half in 1:01.2 and final stanza in :30 en route to her victory.
Beachcomber, a daughter of Conway Hall – Enjoy The Sun in rein to Jan Johnson, rebuffed a strong challenge from Snowblind Lindy (Stephane Bouchard) to win the second division by a head in a 2:04.4 clocking.
When Snowblind Lindy charged alongside the pace-setter, Beachcomber, in the final turn, the latter rebuffed the former to score a neck victory.
"She tried to pull up in the final turn and (she) thought the race was over," Johnson said of Beachcomber and then added "She's used to a big track and this was her first start on the half (mile track)."
In the stretch, Snowblind Lindy was gaining on Beachcomber but when Johnson urged Beachcomber, she dug in and held off Bouchard's filly."
Beachcomber is owned by Arden Homestead and Adelaide Skoglund.
Stephane Bouchard also had his mount in the next division, Sister Marcy, also try to pull up but her slow down was near the half-mile marker.
"She's was trained on a big track and she thought it (the race) was over (after) one time around," Bouchard said.
However, when the filly thought about pulling-up, Bouchard kept Sister Marcy busy and got her back to her business and when Up In Class (Jan Johnson) challenged at the three-quarters, Sister Marcy trotted away and went on to a three-length victory over Up In Class in 2:05.4.
The winner, a daughter of Credit Winner – Howards Sister, is owned by Philip Hale.
According to trainer Jessica Okusko, she and hubby Howard have been high on Shes So Savvy right from the reel and after the daughter of Malabar Man – Twitty was victorious in her two qualifying events at Vernon Downs, she made her first pari-mutuel start a winning one, also.
Howard Okusko took Shes So Savvy to the front from the gate, yielded to Allie Jay (Stephane Bouchard) at the quarter pole and then they retook the lead. From there, it was catch me if you can and no one could as Shes So Savvy coasted to a two-length 2:04.2 triumph over Allie Jay in a fourth NYSS division.
Shes So Savvy is owned by the Purple Haze Stable.
A final NYSS split went to New Hampshire Girl in a time of 2:03.3. With Ray Schnittker in the sulky, the daughter of Conway Hall – Yankee Kelsie assumed command as the field left the starting gate and the filly was comfortably in front at the quarter in :31.
Schnittker kept New Hampshire Girl on the lead and she was followed closely by La Marchesa (Stephane Bouchard) the entire way. As the two trotters came off the final turn, Bouchard moved La Marchesa out to challenge but she couldn't catch the leader and had to settle for second money, one length behind New Hampshire Girl at the finish.
The winner is owned by Schnittker, Blue Chip Bloodstock, Steve Demeter and Dr. Herbie Burns.
(Monticello)