The New York Sire Stakes makes it first stop at Monticello Raceway this season on Monday, June 4 as three-year-old trotting fillies take centre stage. The entire 11-race program consists of all NYSS-eligible performers -- four heats of Sire Stakes racing for a purse of $30,450, five divisions of the Excelsior A’s ($15,000) and two splits of the Excelsior B’s ($7,200).
Sire Stakes action starts quickly in the first race. Fury Road, coming off a second-place finish to stable mate Lucky Ava in the EBC at Tioga Downs last start, will start from the outside at post 6 for Ake Svanstedt and has been installed the 5-2 favourite. A daughter of Muscle Mass who earned $143,895 at 2, Fury Road was victorious in her NYSS division at Yonkers on May 8. She was also victorious in her division last year as a two-year-old at Monticello Raceway where she scored in 2:00.4. The perpetual bridesmaid to her stablemate Lucky Ava, Fury Road finished second in the $225,000 NYSS Final last fall at Yonkers Raceway.
Tribute To Seven will score from post 2. She finished 2nd in NYSS company at Yonkers in early May, and Scott Zeron will get his first drive behind the daughter of Chapter Seven for trainer Linda Toscano. Pleasepleasepleas (PP3) was sharp in her last start at Tioga Downs where she won in 1:58.1 in overnight company.
The second division of NYSS in Race 6 features the proverbial queen of the prom, Lucky Ava, the NYSS Final Champion last year at Yonkers where she took her two-year-old mark of 1:58.2. The Lucky Chucky offspring comes into in the race with lifetime earnings of $239,339. She won the EBC consolation last week in Vernon in 1:53.4, and regular driver Ake Svanstedt will once again drive. Reigning local two-year-old trotting filly track record holder Lima Novelty (1:57.3) will score from post 3 for trainer Linda Toscano. The Chapter Seven Lass is owned by Ken Jacobs and will be driven by Scott Zeron. She finished third in her first NYSS event of the year earlier at Yonkers Raceway.
The third heat comes in Race 7, and the field of seven are a well-matched group. Lucky Chucky filly Special Miss, the Lady Suffolk winner at Yonkers on May 5, will score form post position 3 and will benefit from Jim Morrill Jr. in the bike. The classy Jordan Blue Chip (PP6) has a Sire stake win under her belt already this year at Yonkers will be driven by Scott Zeron. The dependable Supergirl Riley (PP7) and Natalie Hanover (PP5) also figure to be in the hunt.
The ultra-consistent Somedew Somedont will start from post 5 in the afternoon's last NYSS event in Race 8. The offspring of Deweycheatumnhowe has finished in the top 3 in 11 of 13 lifetime starts for co-owner and trainer Dale Lawton of Verona, NY. Top Monticello Raceway driver Jim Devaux will handle the driving chores. A pair of bluebloods, each out of a former two-year-old trotting filly of the Year will also be in the hunt. Ciao Dolce, a $300,000 yearling out of the crack mare Pizza Dolce, will start from post 2 for Ake Svanstedt as the future blueblood broodmare still seeks a lifetime mark. Mooshka Stride, the first foal of Check Me Out and a $260,000 yearling purchase, will score from the four-hole. The Credit Winner Filly is trained by Mark Harder and will be driven by Scott Zeron. Mooshka Stride sports a lifetime mark of 1:55 taken at two.
The track record for three-year-old trotting fillies is 1:56.1, and is shared by Gerris Joy and Goosebump Hanover. That record, however, may not be in jeopardy as the weatherman is not cooperating and is calling for rain. First post time is 12:50 p.m.
(with files from Monticello)