One of the best sophomore pacers in the country, All Bets Off, from the powerful Ron Burke Stable, will be the featured attraction when Monticello Raceway presents the last preliminary leg of the New York Sire Stakes program on Tuesday afternoon (August 26).
All Bets Off, owner of a 1:48.2 record, is currently fourth on the list of money-winning three-year-old colt pacers this season with over $511,000 in earnings. The son of Bettors Delight-Armbro Penelope has seven wins, two seconds and one third in 10 starts this year. He comes into his $38,500 split off three consecutive victories, the last in 1:50.3 in the Carl Millstein final at Northfield Park on August 15.
Owned by Burke Racing, Frank Baldachino, The Panhellenic Stable and Rosemary Shelswell, Burke has once again assigned the driving duties to Matt Kakaley when All Bets Off starts from Post 5 in the first race on the card.
In all, Burke will send out six sophomore pacers that afternoon, four in the three NYSS splits while two others will race in the Excelsior Stakes. That means the Burke Stable will have an entry in one of the NYSS events and it so happens that it will be in the event that All Bets Off is in.
Joining him on the mutuel ticket will be stablemate Forty Five Red, to be driven by Mark MacDonald. It appears that Burke is probably starting All Bets Off in the sire stakes to make sure he has enough points to qualify for the $225,000 final at Yonkers Raceway on September 13.
In the second NYSS division (Race 4), the Jimmy Takter-trained Capital Account gets the oddsmaker’s nod as the early favourite from the pole position. A winner of almost $105,000 this year, the American Ideal-Copywriter colt owned by Brittany Farms holds a record of 1:51 taken earlier this year at the Meadowlands.
Brett Miller will be in the pilot’s seat when Capital Account starts from Post 1.
Another Brittany Farms pacer, Winds Of Change, whom they co-own with Val D’Or Farms, has been rated as the favourite in the third NYSS split (Race 8). Trained by Linda Toscano, the son of American Ideal-Arts Temptress has won two of his last three starts at Tioga Downs, the fastest in 1:50.2.
Winds Of Change will start from the four hole with Brett Miler at the controls.
The undercard features four Excelsior Series paces which will go as Race 2, 5, 6 and 7 on the 11-race card. Arguably, the best of the starters in those events is Lauren and Bob Tucker’s Believeinthespirit, an Art Major gelding out of Spirit Of the West, who is a five-time winner thus far this year with over $41,000 in earnings.
Trainer Ed Lohmeyer, has assigned Jimmy Morrill, Jr. to do the driving when the pacer starts from Post 5 in the second race on the card.
First post is slated for 12:50 p.m.
(Monticello)