The first Monticello Raceway legs of New York-bred races will commence Thursday evening (July 4) and will feature the New York Sire Stakes as well as the Excelsior Stakes, both of which are for juvenile pacing fillies.
It will be the second stop for the two-year-olds en route to the $175,000 NYSS final later this fall.
A special first-race post time for the 11-dash card will be at 5:30 p.m. The card will be followed by the best fireworks display in the Catskills, which will be presented 20 minutes after the last race.
Headlining the NYSS events is Mind Over Matter, whose 1:55.1 victory on June 24 in NYSS action at Yonkers Raceway has the Art Major filly leading her gender in a season's record on a half-mile oval thus far this year.
The Greg McNair-trained filly is the early morning-line favourite in her $32,662 division and will start from Post 6 in the eighth race. Once again, Tim Tetrick will handle the driving chores for Millar Farms of Newmarket, Ontario.
Another $33,262 NYSS split (Race 6) will feature Scandalicious, a daughter of American Ideal that was also a NYSS winner last week at Yonkers Raceway in 1:56.2. She will have Andrew McCarthy in the pilot’s seat for trainer Scott Di Domenico and will start from Post 5.
Local trainer Bruce Borden will send out the favourite, Bettor Chill Out, in yet another $33,262 division (Race 3). The daughter of Bettors Delight that is owned by Joe Meany of Crestwood, NY won her NYSS split at Yonkers in 1:57. Jeff Gregory will handle the driving chores.
Tim Rooney’s Art Major filly Clara, a 1:58.1 winner at Yonkers in her NYSS split, will be the one to beat in another $33,262 division. Trainer Larry Remmen has tabbed Jeff Gregory with the driving assignment, but they’ll have to overcome starting from the seven hole in Race 2.
The undercard will feature four $12,700 divisions for New York-bred fillies in the Excelsior Series. Of the 28 starters, only one filly, Spreester, has won a pari-mutuel race.
(With files from Monticello)