As Monticello Raceway announcer Howard Oil would say “they’re coming from everywhere” and that’s what race Secretary Eric Warner thought when he opened the box for three-year-old trotting colts for Monday, July 17.
There were 52 entries in the box, forming three regular division of Sire Stakes ($39,200), three heats of the Excelsior A class ($15,000) and two Excelsior B events ($6,000) in total racing for purses in excess of $175,000.
Dexter Cup winner Lord Cromwell will get the action started in the first race on the card, starting from post three in the six-horse field. The Ed Hart trained son of Chapter Seven – Oh Oh Its Magical already has $110,000 on his card this year and a mark of 1:55 taken in his Dexter Cup victory. Dunbar Hill has the fastest lifetime mark of the group -- 1:54.1 taken in an overnight at Mohawk -- and this will be his test in Sire Stakes company. Texican and Royal Casanova are moving up from the Excelsior A class and trying their luck in the big league.
The second division on paper looks to be the race of the day, with Habitat's 1:56.3 track record in jeopardy. Swedish trainer Anette Lorentzon brings the razor-sharp Guardian Angel AS to the contest, an easy eight-length NYSS winner last week at Buffalo in 1:57.1 and a 12 length winner at Yonkers in 1:56.3 two starts prior. The Archangel – Provide As colt has five wins and a second in seven starts this year and $77,000 in earnings. Optimist Blue Chip (Bruce Aldrich Jr.) has visited the winner's circle five times already this year, his last win came at Saratoga in 1:55 2 weeks ago for trainer Buzzy Sholty. A winner earlier in the year in the Excelsior A’s, this will be his first attempt at the regular Sire Stakes.
Race Eight features Eye Ofa Tiger AS, the interesting homebred son of Chapter Seven – Seven Cascade. He will be driven by Jason Bartlett and will start from post two for owners ACL Stuteri AB and Kjell Johansson. He sports a three-race win streak, with his most recent start a NYSS win at Buffalo in 1:57.2. The consistent Stick With Me Kid (PP4) with Brian Sears will also be in the fray for trainer George Ducharme.
The first Excelsior A heat goes postward in Race Three. DWs Revenge (PP7) has two of his five seasonal wins in this class and gets recent Hall of Famer inductee Brian Sears will be in the bike. Race Seven pits three A class winners in the same dash,: Sweetchap (PP3), Patton (PP6) and morning line favourite Big Man EV (PP4). The last split of the A class comes in Race 10. Southwind Cruze and Andy Miller start from the rail and have been tabbed as the 5-2 morning line choice by virtue of his two consecutive second-place finishes in this class.
In the second race, the uniquely-coloured New York Chrome will start from post position 4 in the seven-horse Excelsior B field. The son of Deweychetumnhowe was a winner last year at Monticello and took his two-year-old mark of 2:01.3. The chestnut gelding won in the same fraternity two starts ago at Buffalo.
First race post time for the 13-race card is 12:50 p.m.
(with files from Monticello)