by John Manzi, publicity director, Monticello Raceway

MONTICELLO, N.Y.— It took 2-year-old pacing filly Elegant Lisa a little longer to get to the racetrack than some of her peers—she didn’t make her first pari-mutuel start until Aug. 13—but she has more than made up for it by winning three times in four outings and collected more than $16,000 in purses in just over three weeks.

Her latest score was a 2:00.3 mile-cutting victory at Monticello Raceway on Monday, Aug. 5, in a $8,300 division of the New York-Bred Late Closer series, of which eight divisions were featured during the afternoon. The Lislea filly has now won in each of the first three legs of the series and with one leg remaining, has likely earned her way into the $20,000 final at Monticello on Sept. 20.

“This is her third Late Closer win and she’s really coming along well. Every start she gets better and this is the fastest she’s ever gone on a half-mile track,” said Jason Catalino, part of the ownership group that includes Robert Barnello, John Baldwin and David Towne.

This start the filly cut out the mile as the 1-5 post-time favorite and survived a battle with eventual second-place finisher Tempest Blue Chip through the last turn. The filly is trained by Ray VanDreason and was steered by regular driver Brian Allen.

“Since she started late, we decided not to try her in the Sire Stakes and are taking it easy on her in the Late Closers so we can bring her back next year as a 3-year-old in the Sire Stakes,” added Catalino, who flies from his home in Florida to watch his filly race.

Wallstreet Wally provided a sentimental win for his connections when trainer-driver Howard Okusko Jr. steered him out of the pocket in the stretch to break his maiden in 2:02.1. Owners Jim VanAlstyne and Ed Carter were joined in the winner’s circle by Phil Hapeman, who bred the Wallstreet Tycoon colt. Hapeman has suffered from health problems recently and had to disband his breeding stock so he was thrilled to pose in the winner’s circle.

“We bought him as a yearling from Phil and we actually took him out of a paddock with a bull,” recalled Carter, who purchased the colt with VanAlstyne and Debbie Brandt. “His three (older) sisters are a little crazy, but he’s just laid back and he’s never done anything wrong.”

The other Late Closers division winners of the afternoon were:

Go Ask Alice (Magical Mike) 1:59.1, colt owned by Tony D’Acunto and Chris Callas
Twin B Mitch (Magical Mike) 2:00.1, gelding owned by Howard Taylor, Ted Gewertz and Edwin Gold
Time For Glory (Sealed N Delivered) 2:00.3, colt owned by Gary Piontkowski and Roger Slowbody
Tres Elegante (Bettor’s Delight) 2:02.2, filly owned by Slo-Down Stable, Ed Namiotka Jr., Sam Elkin and Vincent Tancredi
The Look I Like (Magical Mike) 2:03.1, colt owned by Purple Haze Stables
Mass Transit (Space Shuttle) 2:04, filly owned by Dyce Spalluto