By Shawn Wiles
On Wednesday July 4th, Monticello Raceway will host 2-Year-Old Pacing Colts vying for purses in excess of $140,000. The current crop of New York Sired 2-Year-Old Pacing Colts caused quite a stir after their first Sire Stake start at Yonkers Raceway last week, pacing miles that would seem normal at the end of their 2-year-old campaign, but unheard for their 2 year old Sire Stake debut. Sire, Art Major enjoyed a stellar night as 2 of his sons, Melodies Major and Major Blake, both put in outstanding performances. As luck or un luck would have it, both colts drew in the same division.
Art Major has 4 sons in the first division of Sire Stakes in race 4, racing for a purse of $55,500. Jack Nation (Mark Mac Donald) starting from post position 5 has been installed as the 5-2 morning line favorite. The son of Art Major was second behind Major Blake at Yonkers in his last start for trainer Blake Macintosh and is seeking his first lifetime win. Shanghai Bobby is the co-favorite and will score from post 6 with Jason Bartlett driving for trainer Gareth Dowse. The son of Art Major won his first baby race at Pocono Down ins 1:56.1 and finished 4th in his first Sire Stakes and was timed in 1:57. The home town horse in the field is KJ Leo (PP7), trained by longtime Monticello Raceway horseman Gary Messenger, he was a game second last week at Yonkers, Jim Taggart Jr. will drive the altered son of Art Major. If the erratic Bean(PP2) pays attention to business he should get a nice trip.
The second heats of Sire Stakes will have gamblers scratching their head trying to separate this well this well-matched field of sidewinders. Major Blake’s (PP4) charted lines show 1’s across the page, a winner of his 2 baby races in Ohio, the son of Art Major turned a lot heads last week at Yonkers winning his division in 1:56.1, pacing his LQ in 28.1 for trainer Sam Schillaci, leading Yonkers driver Jason Bartlett gets the driving assignment. Mark Ford brings his favorite son of Art Major, Melodies Major (PP7) to the fray for longtime patron Martin Scharf of Gallo Blue Chip fame. It will be the first time of many, that Melodies Major and Major Blake will face off. Melodies Major won his heat of Sire Stakes by a city block last time out at Yonkers in 1:55.3, regular driver Tyler Buter will drive.
As trainers continue to gauge their colts, the program also features 3 Excelsior A races (3,5 and 7) each division racing for $15,000 and 2 heats of the Excelsior B class offering a purse of $6,500, races 1 and 2. Excelsior winners from Yonkers in the prior week are also in to go (PP2) Linda Toscano – Scott Zeron, Light Wind (PP6) (Gareth Dowse – Jason Bartlett) and Alex Tye (Amber Buter – Tyler Buter)(PP8) are both up in class after a win in the B class last week.
The track record for 2YOPC is 1:55:2, set by Freedomformysoul in 2014, the weather man is calling for threatening skies and temperatures in the mid 80’s. Post time is 12:50 for the 8-race card.
