by Shawn Wiles, for Monticello Raceway

Monticello, NY — On Monday (July 9), at Monticello Raceway the entire program is comprised of New York Sire Stakes for 2-year-old trotting males.

The 11-race card features four divisions of Sire Stakes. The Excelsior Series are well represented with four Excelsior A races worth $15,000 per dash and two heats of the Excelsior B, each worth $6,500.

Horns For Three (post three) is looking to keep his perfect three-for-three streak intact in the $27,750 first division. A winner last week at Buffalo in NYSS action, the Credit Winner gelding is trained by Ed Hart; Jason Bartlett is driving.

The Marcus Melander trained Gimpanzee (Chapter Seven), a $170,000 yearling purchase, is making his pari-mutuel debut for Courant Inc. and SRF Stable. Regular Melander driver Brian Sears will drive. The bay colt trotted his first lifetime start in 1:55 at a Meadowlands qualifier.

Winnerup (post four) trotted his last quarter in :27 in his lone qualifying race. He is owned by the Purple Haze Stable. Trond Smedshammer will drive.

Chapter Fashion will be looking to make a statement in the $27,750 second dash. The Jim Campbell trained gelding (by Chapter Seven) is owned by recent Hall of Fame inductee Jules Siegel. The gelding has back-to-back qualifying wins under her belt. She romped last week by six lengths to win in 1:59.2.

Keystone Cash has a pair of place showings and a third under his belt so far this year. Jimmy Takter will drive the Chapter Seven colt for owners Howard Taylor, Judith Taylor and Order By Stable.

The $27,250 third heat has two winners from the Buffalo Sires Stakes action last week. Certify (post four) won his division in 2:05.1. The Credit Winner son will be driven by regular driver Claude Huckabone Jr. for owner–trainer Earl Sauve.

Right next to him behind the starting gate is Xcuseme, the other winner at Buffalo last time out in 2:06.3. John Stark will drive the RC Royalty offspring.

Trainer George Ducharme has enjoyed much Sires Stakes success at Monticello over the last few years. He looks to extend his luck with Jake G’s Champion (RC Royalty). He finished second last week to Horns For Three, beaten three-quarters of a length. Scott Zeron will drive for longtime Ducharme patron Raymond Campbell.

In the $27,750 final heat of Sire Stakes, Chip Chip Conway has been installed the morning line favorite and will start from the rail with Jim Taggart Jr. in the bike. The Gary Messenger trained son of Conway Hall skipped it off last week in Buffalo in the first turn. He should find familiar territory on his hometown track.

Fashion For Credit (post eight) is the 3-1 co-favorite, another potent Jim Campbell–Jules Siegel trainee. The $50,000 Credit Winner son was second last start, just missing by neck in 1:58.3.

Dan Daley is due for a visit to the winner’s circle at Monticello Raceway, just missing on several occasions earlier this year in Sire Stakes competition. The dry spell could end with Whimzical Chapter (post six).