Miso Fast is favorite in Sire Stakes at Monticello Raceway on August 8

By Shawn Wiles

On Monday afternoon August 8 at Monticello Raceway, 2 year old pacing colts will be the center of attention, this is the 5^th of 8 legs of the New York Sire Stake circuit.  On tap on the card is 3 splits of the regular Sire Stakes and 3 each of the Excelsior A and B classes.  The Sire Stake vie for $35,866 per division, the Excelsior A’s race for $15,000 and the Excelsior B’s go for $6,700. 

The highly touted Miso Fast brings with him his ultra-impressive resume, the Roll With Joe colt is unbeaten thus far in his juvenile career.  He has reeled off 3 consecutive wins in NYSS competition, all in impressive fashion.  The $125,000 Kentuckiana Farms yearling purchase is trained by Ron Burke and will be driven by Matt Kakaley, he will start from post 4 in the 6 horse field, and he is 4-5 morning line.  Based on his last 3 outings, the Track Record for 2 Year Old Pacing Colts may be in jeopardy.  The current record of 1:55:2 is held by Freedomformysoul set in 2014.

Rock It Scott (PP4) and Music is Art (PP6) are the main contenders in the 1^st division of Sire Stakes dash. In his 3^rd lifetime start, Rock It Scott was a winner at Saratoga Raceway in 1:54:3. He earned his lifetime mark in his last start at Tioga Downs in 1:54.1 and has earned $40,000.  Music Is Art (Art Major) also earned his speed badge of 1:54:3 at Saratoga Raceway. The son of Art Major is trained by Steve Elliott for owners Peter Blood and Rick Berks of Florida, Jason Bartlett will drive the colt from post position 6, and is 3-1 morning line.

Funknwaffles looks to extend his winning streak to 3 in a row, his last start was at Tioga Downs while competing in the Excelsior A class, the American Ideal – Hatsoff Hanover colt was very impressive by virtue of his 1:52.4 win last week at Tioga Downs.  He steps up in class this week for owners Crawford Farms Racing from Syracuse NY. He will start from post 4, in the 8^th race, with James Morrill Jr. driving. The bay colt is trained by John Butenschoen.

Post Time for the 13 race card is 12:50.

Southern Girl reaches in Vernon distaff

Vernon, N.Y. -- Employing a tracking trip through much of the mile, Connie Hochstetler's Southern Girl ($12.20) reached late to nose out even-money favorite All Charged Up in Thursday (August 4) evening's featured $8,000 Mares Open Pace at Vernon Downs.

Jimmy Whittemore floated forward with the 4-year-old Sportsmaster mare to take third in the initial stages, drafting behind Looney Dune (Ben McNeil) and Super Soph (Chris Lems) through early splits of :26.2 and :55.3. On the far turn, Southern Girl found herself locked in, as All Charged Up (John MacDonald) commenced a first-over rally on approach to the quarter pole. Whittemore worked Southern Girl second-over upon cornering, and the pair ultimately swung three-wide as All Charged Up took command at the eighth pole. Southern Girl dueled strongly off cover to prevail by a hard-fought nose in 1:51. Looney Dune, the early pacesetter, was a worn-down third.

Homer Hochstetler trains Southern Girl, now an 11-time winner.

The evening's sub-featured $5,500 Miracle Mile pace for distaffers saw Embassy Seelster ($2.70) control all the terms and edge clear to a two-length victory over Jinxy's Delight in 1:51.2. Fern Paquet, Jr. drove the 6-year-old Modern Art mare for trainer Allie Berube.

Live racing returns to Vernon Downs on Friday (August 5) evening, with post time slated for 6:45 p.m. Eastern.

HANNAH MILLER WINS TWO AMATEUR RACES; VERRUSO & CIUFETTELLI ALSO REIN WINNERS

by john manzi for NAADA and the Catskill Amateur Club

When “Hurricane Hannah” Miller returned to the Monticello Raceway paddock after her driving victory with Histoire Enternelle on Thursday (August 4)  she handed the lines to trainer Nick Surick and said “It was a good day”, and by all accounts it certainly was for the nation’s leading amateur driver.

The 1:55 triumph with Histoire Eternelle was the talented miss’s second driving victory of the day and 22^nd of theseason after previously scoring behind trotter Rocket Master in 1:57.4 in an earlier race on the card.

In all, there were four events for amateur drivers on Monticello’s 11-race Thursday afternoon program; three trots in the NAADA Series and one pace in a Catskill Amateur Club event.

The NAADA trots were the eighth leg of the 10-leg series that will afford the three top point-earners in the events a chance to draw for an all-expense paid trip to New Zealand later this year to race against the local amateurs in events slated down under.

The afternoon’s amateur events got underway when Ms. Miller reined Rocket Master to a two length triumph in the second race.

 After being careful as the wings of the mobile gate folded, Miller took her trotter to the pylons and was fifth at the first stanza, some eight lengths behind the leader as the timer flashed :28.3. With a move to the outside at the three- eighths pole Rocket Master improved to fifth position at the half and by the time he reached the three quarters he was on top. From there Rocket Master coasted to a two-length triumph over Peter Kleinhans’ Windsun Galliano. Current Crisis was third best  for Bobby Krivelin.

“I was careful with him as the gate pulled away because he’s rough-gated on the straightaways,” Miller said. “He put in a couple of extra steps along the way time but he was still strong finishing.” 

Co-owned by Hannah, her dad Erv Miller and trainer Nick Surick, Rocket Master paid $2.90 for win.

Hannah’s ride behind Histoire Eternelle was the fastest on the afternoon card.

“He was a little head-strong warming up and scoring down but once he got behind the (mobile starting) gate he relaxed. But when the gate sprung he was off to the front,” Miller said referring to Histoire Enternelle.

 They were never in trouble and were an oh-so-easy four-length winner over KB’s Bad Boy and driver Barry Addison. Azoreansailor (Ken Heins) finished third.

Owned by the J L Stable and trained by Nick Surick, Histoire Eternelle returned a $2.50 win mutuel.

 Another NAADA trot saw Tony Ciufettelli and Aventure steal soft  fractions during the first half mile and then speed away to a  two-length triumph in a 2:00 clocking. Joe Faraldo and  For You Almostfree chased the winner home while Bob Kenney and Rev Up The Spice were third best.

“I rushed him (Aventure) out of there and when no one came at us I lulled him,” Ciufettelli explained. “When we passed the half (in 1:02.3) I stepped on the gas and he paced a final half in :57.2.”

Owned, trained, and driven by Ciufettelli Aventure paid $4.60 for win.

A third NAADA trot went to Sam’s Honeybee and driver Tony Verruso with a gate to wire performance in a time of 2:00.4. Cassa’s Image finished second for Dr. John Kokinos and Steve Oldford took home the show dough with Starsboveallerage.

“We had the pole position and we got a big break when the favorite (Zoli, driven by Peter Kleinhans) broke at the start,” Verruso said. “My mare is good on the lead and when we were left alone in a 1:02.2 half I knew we’d be tough to beat from there.”

Owned by her driver and trained by Carl Gillespie Sam’s Honeybee  won for the sixth time this season. Discounted by the betting public and sent off at odds of nearly 12-1 she returned a $25.60 mutuel.

Now with eight legs in the books Hannah Miller leads with 48 points followed closely by Tony Ciufettelli’s 46.  Peter Kleinhans is currently third with 40 points. Rounding out the top five are  Alan Schwartz (37) and Tony Verruso (29). Upon completion of the series 10 legs the top three in points will draw for a trip to New Zealand