$163,100 ON THE LINE FOR SOPHOMORE TROTTERS IN NYSS &
EXCELSIORS
On Tuesday afternoon (July 15 )Monticello Raceway will host
3 year old trotting colts and geldings in both the New York Sire Stakes and the
Excelsior Series. Two NYSS events, along with five Excelsior’s, will offer over
$163,000 in purse money.
The NYSS events mark the third of eight legs for the
sophomore trotters at various New York racetracks en route to the $225,000
Final at Yonkers Raceway on September 13. Along the way the competing colts and
geldings will earn points in each leg, depending on the placements, with the
top eight point recipients earning a berth in the rich finale.
Although the Excelsior’s outnumber the NYSS, five to two,
those competing in the sire stakes events, at least at this time, are the cream
of the crop and each division will go for a purse of $59,100. Two of the
Division A Excelsior’s go for $12,600 purses while the three Division B
trotters each race for $6600.
The NYSS trots will go as races eight and 12 on Tuesday’s
13-race card and both fields contain quality
trotters.
The first $59,100 split pits Gural Hanover, an altered son
of Crazed-Givemearing, against Expressive Action, a Conway Hall-Yetta’s
Angel colt. Both young trotters have similar credentials with each having
three wins, one second and one third in five starts. And both have won on big
tracks in 1:54 and a piece although Expressive Action has already earned
over $167,000 while Gural Hanover’s current bankroll tops $75,000.
However the latter has defeated the former in the two previous NYSS
events at Saratoga Raceway and at Buffalo Raceway.
The odds-maker sets a 4-5 morning line odds on Gural Hanover
while Expressive Action has been rated at 2-1. Gural Hanover is owned by Burke
Racing, Weaver Bruscemi, Little E Stable and Panhellenic Stable and will
start from the four- hole with Jimmy Morrill, Jr. at the controls. Meanwhile,
Expressive Action, trained by John Grasso for the John Grasso Stable, Inc. will
have his regular driver, Mike Simons, in the sulky when they start from post
position two.
Cash Me Out, with three consecutive victories—two in NYSS
action—has been rated the 2-1 early line favorite in the second $59,100
division. His last, a 1:56.4 come-from-behind triumph over Expressive
Action at Buffalo Raceway was a beaut. The Cash Hall-China Victory colt
has four wins and three seconds in eight starts and over $88,000 in earnings.
Owned by Traylor Racing, trained by Cheryl Mc Givern, Cash Me Out will start on
the far outside from post six with Mickey McGivern at the lines.
Flyhawk El Durado, the winner of last year’s $225,000 2 year
old colt and gelding final, will be the main competition in the six horse
field. Trained by Mark Ford for Martin Scharf the Conway Hall-El Paso Gal colt
has purses of over $77,000 and a best win time of 1:54.1 taken at Mohawk
Racetrack in Canada. Mark MacDonald will be in the pilot’s seat when
the colt leaves from post four.
The five Excelsior Stakes trots make a solid undercard on the Tuesday program. First post will be at 12:50pm.
