by John Manzi, publicity director, Monticello Raceway

Monticello, NY — More than $204,000 is up for grabs for freshman trotting fillies in New York Sire Stakes action at Monticello Raceway on Wednesday afternoon, July 9.

The Mighty M events mark the first of six stops on the road to the $150,000 Final at Yonkers Raceway in mid-September where the highest money earners in the preliminary legs will earn the right to go race in the rich finale.

Six divisions, each for a purse of approximately $34,000, will go to post as races one, two, four, six, eight and 11 on the 11-race program.

With nearly every one of the 47 fillies entered making their first pari-mutuel starts, to point out the best would be a hard task but rest assured after the events the cream will rise to the top.

Some of the fillies starting on Wednesday already show great promise.

Freddy Montelone owns J-Yo, a daughter of Credit Winner-Striking Sibyl who won a baby race by 12 lengths in 2:04.3 at Tioga Downs on June 27. She’ll start from post position eight with Jimmy Morrill, Jr. aboard in the first race.

Winbak Farm and Barbara Baum’s Doin The City, a Conway Hall-Doin’ The Town filly, has won two qualifiers at Vernon Downs, the fastest in 2:02.3, and Dan Daley is set to handle the driving chores when the filly leaves from post three in race number two on the card.

In race six, She’s So Savvy, owned by the Purple Haze Stable, is undefeated in two qualifying starts, the last a 14 length triumph in 2:00 at Vernon Downs. Howard Okusko, Jr. will drive the daughter of Malabar Man-Twitty and start from post four.

However, she’ll have to contend with Lori Ann Ramsay’s Allie Jae (Malabar Man-Imatagtoo), who won a leg of the NYSS county fair stakes in 2:07.1 at Goshen on July 3. Stephane Bouchard gets the driving assignment when Allie Jae starts from post six.

Arguably the most impressive filly at this time to be starting in the NYSS at Monticello Raceway on Wednesday is John Siena and Paolo Rossinelli’s Honorable Daughter, a Malabar Man-Honorable Mother filly trained by Larry Remmen. She’ll be driven by Jimmy Morrill, Jr. and start from the seven hole. Honorable Daughter already owns a 1:58.3 record taken when she won a division of the Acorn Stakes at the Big M on June 25.

But the final NYSS contest, race 11, appears to be the most competitive.

Purple Haze Stables’ Designed To Dazzle (Conway Hall-Vintage Chip) shows a 2:02.3 qualifying victory at Vernon Downs on June 26 and Ann-Mari Daley’s Marquee Nights (Conway Hall-Perfectiveness) was a 2:02.1 qualifying winner at Vernon Downs on June 19. The former will be driven by Howard Okusko, Jr. and start from post four while the latter will race away from post position three with Dan Daley aboard.

However, don’t count out the “angry dwarf” Ray Schnittker. He’ll handle New Hampshire Girl (Conway Hall-Yankee Kelsie), who was a fourth place finisher in the Acorn Stakes on June 25 and owns a 2:03 qualifying mark in her first time behind the starting gate on June 4.

Though the big track times are impressive the move to the double oval, especially the first time, proves to be a great equalizer and the fillies with slower times over half-mile tracks may be more competitive than they appear on paper.