Yonkers, NY — The New York Sire Stakes season for this year begins on Monday night (May 16) at Yonkers Raceway with three $50,000 divisions for 3-year-old trotting fillies.

In the first of those flights (race four), Joviality S, the defending New York Sire Stakes champion, will take on Little Pink Lies. Joviality S, a daughter of Chapter Seven driven by Brian Sears for trainer Marcus Melander and owner Courant Inc., captured the Breeders Crown and Goldsmith Maid finals a year ago after her success in the Empire State, while Little Pink Lies (post six, trainer-driver Åke Svanstedt), captured the $58,025 Lady Suffolk at Freehold on May 7. Little Pink Lies, owned by Svanstedt, Triple Play Trotters LLC and Tomas Andersson, is also by Chapter Seven.

The second split (race six) features a trio of fillies who made last year’s sire stakes final. Gertrude (post three, Tyler Miller/Julie Miller), a filly from the first crop of Devious Man, compiled a 6-1-1 record from 10 starts in 2021, and after exiting the New York program won the final of the New Jersey Standardbred Development Fund Series at Freehold. She also started her sophomore campaign in the Lady Suffolk, finishing fifth. Valentina Blu (post four, Andy McCarthy/Tony Alagna), another daughter of Chapter Seven, was the runner-up to Joviality S in the Sire Stakes final and then trekked to Woodbine Mohawk Park, where she finished third in the prestigious Mohawk Million. Bomb Hugger (post six, Mark MacDonald/Cory Stratton) won four times in six attempts a season ago, with three of her victories coming in NYSS legs. The Chapter Seven filly overcame post seven to finish third in the Lady Suffolk.

Chapter Seven fillies Seven On The Rocks (post two, trainer-driver John Stark) and Gettinmystepsin (post four, Andy Miller/Julie Miller) are two more graduates of the Sire Stakes final last year to appear on Monday night, racing in the final section (race nine). Seven On The Rocks has won all three of her starts this year at Saratoga in overnight competition, while Gettinmystepsin won two preliminary legs and was second in final of the Bobby Weiss Series at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono. La Vie En Blanc (post one, Dexter Dunn/Tony Alagna) also merits consideration as she is a Chapter Seven half-sister to 2020 Hambletonian champion Ramona Hill.

Monday’s card also has two $15,000 New York Excelsior “A” Series tests for 3-year-old trotting fillies (races four and eight).

Action on the 12-race program gets underway on Monday night at 6:55 p.m. (EDT).