by John Manzi, publicity director, Monticello Raceway

Monticello, NY — On Wednesday afternoon (July 18), eight divisions of New York-bred freshman trotting fillies will go to post at Monticello Raceway with five $28,362 splits in the New York Sires Stakes and another three in the Excelsior Series with each of those races going for $12,800 purses.

The races that day will mark the second stop along the journey where the top eight point earners during the season will have the right to compete in the $175,000 NYSS final in late September. Many of these good looking fillies on the Mighty M Wednesday card raced in the NYSS or the Excelsior Series at Buffalo Raceway on July 8.

A few already appear to be high quality trotters and after Daytona Blue Chip’s easy victory at Buffalo perhaps Ray Schnittker may have another Check Me Out on his hands. The daughter of Credit Winner-Down Goes Debbie used the front end route to an easy four length triumph in a solid 2:01.2 clocking with co-owner and trainer Schnittker at the controls. That victory came on the heels of a 2:01.3 triumph in her only other start at Goshen’s Historic Track on June 29.

But Daytona Blue Chip will have to start from the seven hole outside obvious second choice Order By Credit, who comes into the fray off a 1:58.1 2-year-old race victory at the Meadowlands on July 5. Hall of Famer Jimmy Takter will be in the sulky behind that Credit Winner-Hostess offspring. The two — and six others — will lock horns in the 12th race on the 14-race Wednesday card.

Other interesting fillies on the program that afternoon include Lady Riviera and Fairly Legal. The former won a leg of the John Simpson at the Meadowlands in 1:58 on June 28 and was second her next start in the Reynolds a week later, beaten just a half-length in 1:58.1. Hall of Famer Ron Pierce will be in the sulky behind the daughter of Sand Vic-La Riviera Lindy in race number one. The latter, a daughter of Conway Hall-Kindling, brings with her a 2:04.4 three length victory earned on Historic Track’s double oval on June 29. The sport’s current leading female driver, Jacquie Ingrassia, will handle the driving chores in race number four.

And in race eight, two good looking prospects, Bullville Ata Girl and Crazy Grigio, will go head to head. The former, a Malabar Man-Bullville Forever filly is two-for-two lifetime with both wins in 2:04.3 over half mile tracks. Jimmy Morrill, Jr. will drive when the filly starts from post position seven. The latter, a gray daughter of Crazed-Musetta Hanover, was a 2:03.2 winner at Buffalo Raceway on July 8 in her first start for money. Stephane Bouchard will be that filly’s pilot and they’ll leave from the four hole.

Director of Racing Eric Warner has a good undercard in three Excelsior Series events where a few fillies in those races have already broken their maidens. Pretty Crazy, a daughter of Crazed-Pretty May Flowers, won easily in 2:04.3 in her Excelsior Series split at Buffalo on July 8 and One Sharp Chick, an Equinox Bi filly out of Lapponia, won her Excelsior Series trot at Buffalo in 2:06. Jimmy Morrill, Jr. will drive both fillies — Pretty Crazy in the sixth race and One Sharp Chick in the 14th.

Post time for the 14-race program is slated for 12:50 p.m.