Monticello Raceway was the host of the New York Sire Stakes County Fair finals on Tuesday, Sept. 6, with eight races going to post with $80,000 up for grabs.
For a summer that had very little precipitation, Mother Nature didn’t cooperate as the area received rain for 48 hours straight, causing the track to be rated as sloppy. Top catch-driver Jim Devaux won three of the Fair Finals.
Three-Year-Old Trotting Fillies
Flaunt It To Winit scored in a wire-to-wire effort in 2:00.3 for catch-driver Bruce Aldrich Jr. over the division leader, Fire Flower (Jim Devaux). Favourite Blazin Chally (Kyle Cummings) mounted a challenge the second time around to no avail to finish third. Fire Flower finished second, with Blazin Chally taking the show spot. The winning offspring of Credit Winner is trained and co-owned by Sam Sergi, along with partners Michael Sergi, Frank Spagnolo and Joseph Peters. She notched her fifth victory on the year.
Two-Year-Old Pacing Fillies
The betting public keyed in on the 1-5 favourite Even Stevens (Bruce Aldrich Jr.). Starting from the rail, she set the tempo for most of the mile with fractions of :29.1 and 1:00.1. At the five-eighths mark, Hunts Flower and Brian Cross exploded with a strong brush to overtake the leader in the blink of an eye and had five lengths on her contemporaries in the paddock turn. At the top of the stretch, Cross needed little urging as the daughter of Huntsville drew off by seven in 1:59.4, paying $8.30 to win, over Even Stevens. Hunts Flower is trained and owned by Scott La Page and earned a new a lifetime speed badge. Even Stevens was second, followed by 70-1 longshot In Her Arsenal (Brandon Parker).
Three-Year-Old Trotting Colts
Scoring from post position four, BJs Smitty (pictured above) trotted through sloppy splits of :30.3, 1:01 and 1:31.4 with Jimmy Devaux at the helm to score in 2:02.3, paying $8.80 to win, after withstanding a late move from Gale Force Benny (Kevin Gale) in the last turn. Divine Power (Bob Davis), the division's top point earner, finished second over Gale Force Benny. BJs Smitty is a son of Credit Winner with four wins on the season and is owned and trained by Karen Smith-Ashley.
Two-Year-Old Trotting Fillies
Six of the eight starters made miscues during the mile. The winner, Nice Top Line, made a break as well before the start. After she regained composure, she bobbed and weaved through the breakers in the first turn and was fourth at the opening panel in 32.2. With a quick brush, Nice Top Line made the top at the half, parked in 1:04.4. After she cleared Clancy Brigit (Bruce Aldrich Jr.), she was on cruise control and had five lengths at the three-quarters mark in 1:35.3. In the lane, she got leg weary as Clancy Brigit was bearing down on her, but she was able to withstand the challenge to win by a 1-1/2 lengths in 2:09.1, paying $5 to win as the favourite. The daughter of Mets Hall was driven by Todd Cummings and is trained by Tammy Cummings for owners Kyle Cummings and Alyssa Cummings.
Two-Year-Old Pacing Colts
The top five point earners in the division raced for bragging rights. The favourite, Davey Day Trader (Greg Merton), hailing from post position seven, left swiftly to get the lead and set fractions of :27.4, :57.3 and 1:27.4 in a spread-out field. Sitting the pocket the entire mile was Astaires Arsenal, who is the spitting image of his sire In The Arsenal. He dug in at the top of the lane and overtook Davey Day Trader by a length in a lifetime best of 1:59.3 with Devaux in the sulky. Notching his third win of the season, he returned $11.40 at the betting windows. Misty Carey trains the gelding for owner/breeder Jeffrey Hayes.
Two-Year-Old Trotting Colts
Dewey Wanna Rock (Ron Houghtaling) minded his manners from post five and stayed on gait to set splits of :31.3 and 1:04.3. At the five-eighths mark, the pocket-sitting 6-5 favourite, Paya Tuesday, took his shot at the leader under Jason Bartlett's command and was followed by Biden His Time (Mark Whitcroft) as he hit the third quarter in 1:36.4. The trio had open lengths on the rest of the pack as a confidant Bartlett steered Paya Tuesday to a two-length win in 2:08.2. Sent postward as the race favourite, he paid $4.50 to win. Biden His Time finished second, followed by Dewey Wanna Rock. Paya Tuesday is a son of Crazy Wow and was bred by Salt Hill Farm of New York. He is owned and trained by Ann Yurenka of Burlington Flats, New York. Paya Tuesday earned his fifth win of the year and a new lifetime mark.
Three-Year-Old Pacing Fillies
Center Attraction and James McNeight Jr. grabbed the early lead in the field of eight over Goodlucksweetheart (Jim Devaux) with some urging and took them to the opening quarter in :29. Just past the first panel, Devaux popped Goodlucksweetheart out of the pocket to regain the lead. Approaching the half at 1:00.2, Idontthinkso (Jason Bartlett) went first-over with a quick brush but was stalled on the outside and never saw the wood. McNeight, sitting third with Center Attraction, then pulled three-wide to get past the leg weary Idontthinkso. Midway in the lane, Center Attraction found another gear and paced away from Arrive In Style (Brandon Parker) to score in 2:00.3 and prompt a $11.20 win payout. Goodlucksweetheart was third. Center Attraction is an American Ideal filly trained by Robert Anderson, who also co-owns with Pamela Schienber of Frewsburg, N.Y.
Three-Year-Old Pacing Colts
In the glamour boy division, slight 4-5 favourite Kisses From Above was first off the gate from post six, getting the lead for driver Jim Devaux and taking the pack to the opening stanza in :28.2. At the half in :59.3, second favourite Wild Dude (Bruce Aldrich Jr.) got underway first-over only to see Kisses From Above scoot away by 5-1/2 lengths as they hit the next panel in 1:29.2. The lead diminished as the two paced down the lane but Kisses From Above held off Wild Dude by a neck in 2:00.1. Jimmy Boltthe Door (Henry Westbrook III) was third. Kisses From Above is trained by David Dewhurst, who shares ownership with Joseph Colosi, Mark Beale and Peter Sestito. The son of American Ideal earned his fifth win of the year.
(With files Monticello Raceway)