Fifty-two freshman pacing colts and geldings will go behind the gate at Monticello Raceway on Monday (July 1), with over $155,000 in purses up for grabs. The eight-race card features four $26,500 New York Sire Stakes divisions, along with three $15,000 Excelsior A races and one and $6,700 Excelsior B event.
In the first Sire Stakes heat, Sandys Bolt (Jason Bartlett) will score from post 6., The son of Bolt the Duer and White Sand won a Sire Stakes event at Yonkers in 1:56.4, capped by a :27.4 last quarter. The field also includes Ray Schnittker's The Mystic, who looks to rebound from a break in his first Sire Stakes event with Mark MacDonald at the lines.
The second Sire Stakes event features another Schnittker trainee in Always On The Hunt. The son of American Ideal and Beachesofcheyenne) will start from the rail with MacDonald in the sulky after finishing second in his Sire Stakes debut at Yonkers. In the same event, Monique Cohen trainee Level Up will start from post position 4, with Jordan Stratton handling the driving assignment.
The third division features two colts moving up from Excelsior A company. The first of them is Major Asset, who is trained and driven by Mike Simons. The Art Major colt won his last start in 1:56.3 and will start from post 4. Sunsetboozecruise also won at Yonkers in 1:57.2 for trainer Gareth Dowse; Jim Morrill Jr. will drive the son of Roll With Joe from post 6.
In the final Sire Stakes division of the afternoon, Roll With Joe colt Groovey Joe will try for his second consecutive Sire Stakes win. The Blake Macintosh trainee took a lifetime record of 1:56 in his Sire Stakes event at Yonkers, and will score from post 4 with Matt Kakaley at the helm. Also in the field are I Rolled The Dice (Morrill) and Teton Sunset (MacDonald), who finished second in his last start at Yonkers.
Post time is 12:50 p.m. Eastern.
(with files from Monticello Raceway)