Splash Blue Chip highlights the field for trotting fillies on Monday (July 26) at Monticello Raceway as seven fillies vie for a purse of $114,000 in the New York Sires Stakes (NYSS). Splash Blue Chip is a half-sister to Plunge Blue Chip (1:49.4, $1,576,176), one of the few three-year-old fillies to crack the sub 1:50 barrier.
The royally bred Splash Blue Chip, a $265,000 yearling purchase for owners Ake Svanstedt and Melby Gard Inc., will score from post 5 with trainer-driver Ake Svanstedt in the bike. The daughter of E L Titan was a winner her last start in Sire Stakes company last week at Tioga Downs, were she notched a lifetime mark of 1:55.1, a two-length winner over Dream Chapter.
Dream Chapter, a bridesmaid last week to Splash Blue Chip, will start from post 4 with Scott Zeron sitting behind the Chapter Seven lass for the first time for trainer Domenico Cecere. The Svanstedt barn also has Illuminata as part of the uncoupled entry scores from post 2. She finished second in this company last start in NYSS at Tioga Downs.
Also on tap for the card are three $15,000 divisions of Excelsior A and one $6,000 dash of Excelsior B. The first division of the "A" class is Race 2 and is also the most competitive heat. Izzy Demsky, hailing from the Marcus Melander stable, was an early season winner of the Lady Suffolk at Freehold Raceway and is looking to get back on the winning streak after three-consecutive second-place finishes in Excelsior A company. In Race 2, Mattias Melander will drive the filly. Lady Gidget will start from post 4 with Dave Miller in the sulky. She was a winner in this class two weeks ago in Goshen.
Insured AM S, owned by Courant Inc., figures to be the favourite in her race after a winning effort at Tioga Downs. She will be driven by Mattias Melander in Race 8 and will score from post 4. Insured AM S hails from the Melander Stable and is the morning-line favourite in Race 8 in the Excelsior A dash.
Post time is 12:10 p.m. (EDT).
(Monticello Raceway)