by John Manzi, publicity director, Monticello Raceway

Monticello, NY — Monday (August 15) was an extremely difficult day in southeastern New York. The rains began slowly and picked up steadily around 1 p.m., then moved to an all-out deluge, forcing Monticello Raceway to cancel after the fifth race was completed.

However, prior to the cancellation, two of the three divisions of the New York Sire Stakes late closers for sophomore colt pacers went to post with Bettor’s Reward prevailing in the first and Southwind Inferno winning the second.

In the first event, race one on the card, the rains were intermittent and the contest was fierce. Lucky Cadet, the 1-5 odds-on favorite took the lead from the start and appeared to have no trouble along the way, that is, until Jason Bartlett moved Bettor’s Reward to challenge up the backside, which most thought a token move.

However Bettor’s Reward gained ground and moved alongside the leader despite a :28.4 third quarter. And almost amazingly Bettor’s Reward took nearly a full length lead on the final turn and though Lucky Cadet battled back down the lane Bettor’s Reward clung to a neck victory in a 1:57 clocking. Bubbie Boy finished third for Zeke Parker.

Peter Arrigenna trains the winner who is owned by Fortunate One LLC. Bettor’s Reward, an altered son of Bettor’s Delight, paid 11.40 for win.

The other NYSS late closer was raced during a tremendous downpour with visibility certainly limited. In that contest Bartlett sent the betting favorite Imadeadhead to the lead from the two hole as Stephane Bouchard settled in second with the eventual winner, Southwind Inferno, after leaving from post position four. They then raced one-two the entire mile before Bouchard angled to the passing lane and rallied to a neck victory in a three-horse photo.

Imadeadhead went off-stride just before the wire and Recent News, who was charging on the far outside, joined the three in the picture and ended-up with the place money. And after the misstep by Imadeadhead, he did however, take home the show dough.

Andy Sardella trains Southwind Inferno for Mike and William Pozefsky and Myron Ekstein. The American Ideal gelding returned a $4.50 win mutuel.

According to Tim Gordon, the Executive Director of the Fund that oversees the New York Sire Stakes program, the $12,200 purse for the third and unraced NYSS late closer pace will be divided equally among the seven entrants but no Sire Stakes points will be added to each of the starters’ seasonal resumes.