$50,000 UP FOR GRABS IN 4 EXCELSIOR SERIES SPLITS
The New York Sires Stakes sophomore pacing colts and
geldings, always considered the cream of the crop of the sires stakes
eligibilities, will lock horns Monticello Raceway on Tuesday afternoon,
September 3.
Two divisions, one for $79,385 and the other for $77,975,
are on tap and they will be accompanied by four $12,700 splits of Excelsior
Series colts. The NYSS events will go as races eight and 11 while the Excelsior
Series splits are carded as races one, four, five and six..
Headlining the $77,975 NYSS first division is the Linda
Toscano-trained, Ken Jacobs owned, Doctor Butch, who has already
bankrolled $252,360 this year. His seasonal best clocking is a 1:51.2 mile at
Yonkers Raceway on June 1 while winning the $275,000 Rooney Final.
Doctor Butch will have Jimmy Morrill, Jr. at the
controls when they start from post five in the six-horse field.
But it’ll no cake walk for Doctor Butch. Among
those the son of Art Major will be up against include Framed Art and Bettor
Than You. The former, a $75,000 winner with a 1:54.2 record will
start from the three hole with Mark MacDonald driving while the latter, a
$110,000 winner with a 1:51.4 mark, will leave from the pole position
with Jimmy Marohn, Jr. in the sulky.
The other NYSS split, for a purse of $79,375, will have
Sir Cary’s Z Tam as the early choice. Pat Lachance, trains and will drive when
they leave from post five. The Bettor’s Delight gelding has bankrolled over
$222,000 this year while taking a record of 1:50.3 at the Meadowlands. He comes
into this race off a 1:53.3 NYSS victory over Saratoga Raceway’s half mile
track on August 18.
Like Doctor Butch, Sir Cary’s Z Tam will also have some
stiff competition in the presence of Olde Time Hockey and Bet The Moon.
Olde Time Hockey, from the Tom Fanning barn, a 1:50.3 winner
of $107,000 this year, will start from the pylon position with Jason
Bartlett driving and Bet The Moon, from the powerful Ron Burke Stable owns a
1:50 record this year while earning over1 $172,000.
The undercard combines four solid races of sophomore colt
pacers with Pull The Ripcord in race 6, arguably the most impressive starter in
those events.
Trained by Joe Robbins Jr., the Riverboat King
gelding,unraced until this season, already has nine wins in just 14 starts with
his 1:54.3 triumph at Tioga Downs and July 28 the fastest. Phil Fluet is down
to drive.
In all, 12 race races comprise the Tuesday , September 3rd
card. First post is set for 12:50pm.
