Monticello Raceway will host its first New York Sire Stakes of the year this Monday (June 2) with 3 Year Old Trotting Colts coming to town for the 2025 Sire Stakes season at the Mighty M. Seven colts are entered in the lone Sire Stakes event vying for $119,700. Also on tap are two splits of the $20,000 Excelsior Stakes.
The first Sire Stakes event is carded as race 3. Moving up in class is BJM’s Lil Man, who has been installed the early morning line favorite after his win last start at Vernon Downs in 1:55 2/5 in the Excelsior class. Karinchak was a winner last year at Monticello in Sire Stakes company and will start from post 1. The son of Chapter Seven is trained by Ray Schnittker and will be driven by Mark Macdonald. Ake Svanstedt brings a pair of Chapter Seven colts to the fray with Gangsta Talk (PP#3) and Happy Jack B (PP#4). Happy Jack B ended his 2 year old campaign on a high note by taking his mark at the Red Mile in the Bluegrass Stakes in 1:54 1/5 and was a Breeders Crown starter. The son of Chapter Seven earned $160,000 as a freshman.
The two divisions of Excelsior are slated for races 1 and 6. Low Inside (PP3 – Dan Daley) is the favorite in race 1; the son of Devious man finished second in his last start in this company at Vernon Downs. Habanero Blues (PP2 – Tyler Buter)) scored his first win of 2025 in this class, with a 1:56 1/5 score at Vernon Downs. The other heat in race 6 has 8 starters with a Jessica Okusko entry of Chapamando (PP6 – Mark Macdonald) and Banksy Monkey (PP7 - Greg Merton) - a full bother to Gimpanzee, a winner of $2.7 million. He took his lifetime mark at Vernon with an Excelsior win at Vernon in 1:55 2/5.
Post time for the Monday card is 12:10 P.M.
-edited release (Monticello)