By Shawn Wiles
On
Monday June 29, Monticello Raceways 13 race card features 8 New York Sire Stake
events, the breakdown being 3 NYSS ($35,866)– 3 Division A Excelsior’s
($15,000) & 2 Division B Excelsior’s ($6,500) for total purses in
excess of $165,000. The average number of starts per juvenile is 3, there
is a lot of white paper on the programs. For the vast majority of these Sire
Stake colts, 13 of the 20 starters, this will be their first lifetime start on
a half mile oval.
Race 1 &
2 are Excelsior A events, in race 1, local favorite KJ Erich, trained by Gary
Messenger will start from post 3, for driver Jim Taggart Jr. The Roll
With Joe colt has 2 impressive brides maid starts thus far under his belt in
his young career. Race 2 also showcases another Roll With Joe/Gary
Messenger combination, Cool Breeze De Vie, sports back to back wins at
Monticello, his last start a winning effort in 2:01, and he will start from
post 7.
The first
NYSS event is race 4, Ron Burke stable sends Fine Diamond, the Rock N Roll
Heaven youngster will start from post 3, he has 2 Meadowlands Q’s under his
belt, finishing 3rd in each contest, last start shows a snappy 27:3 last
quarter. The other contender figure to be Uncle Hal (PP5) Scott Zeron for
trainer Joann Perry, buy virtue has his 2 race win streak at Tioga Downs.
Race 6, 2nd
division of NYSS , Canadian based, Endeavor comes to town with 2 consecutive
Q’s win, by a combined 42 ¼ lengths, he will face tough competition from
Autotune Hanover (PP4) and Jeff Gregory’s fast Art Major colt, Fast N
Victorious (PP1).
The last
heat of day and of the Sire Stakes is race 13, by far the toughest race on
paper, Roll With Joe is well represented here, with 2 nice colts, Joe Larry N
Curly (PP4), trained by Mark Harder and driven by Jim Morrill Jr. will start
from the 4 hole, he won his last start, a 2YO qualifier, in 1:55:2, LQ 28:2.
Joe Holloway brings Hudsonandbernard (PP5) to the $36,556 dash, he too winning
sports an identical time of 1:55:3. Brigadoon (PP2) a natural on the half
miles ovals, has he has 3 wins in a row at Saratoga. The American ideal
colt is trained by Cheryl McGivern, and will be driven by Saratoga regular
Billy Dobson.
Trainers
should take note that the date for the first NYSS/Excelsior 2-Year-Old Filly
Trot at Monticello has been changed, The date will be July 3, 2015, box
closes Tuesday at 9:00 am. Post time will be
5:30pm. On that evening Monticello Raceway will have its decades famous
fireworks after the last race.
