Monticello, NY — Driver Tyler Buter and trainer George Ducharme teamed up for back-to-back wins in New York Sire Stake-Excelsior competition and set a new track record in the process as Keep Asking established a new mark for 3-year-old trotting colts in 1:56.

It eclipsed the old record of 1:56.1, formally held by Money Macintosh – Neon Lights of 1:56.1 set on the same day on July 17, 2017.

The Buter–Ducharme double started with Woweress (Crazy Wow–Chaperess) who scored in his division of the Excelsior Stakes in 1:58.1- $13.80 for owner and breeder Purple Haze Stables.

Keep Asking established a new track mark for 3-year-old trotting colts in 1:56. Geri Schwarz photo.

In the following race, a $59,000 heat of Sire Stakes, Keep Asking starting from the rail was content to let Super Duper Cooper and Jason Bartlett cut the mile after stringing him out a tad before he made the top in :28.2. Positions remained unchanged with middle splits of :58 and 1:27.3.

In the paddock turn Keep Asking popped out of the two hole, and turning for home Nottingham (Marcus Miller) dove into the passing lane with Super Duper Cooper still in the lead. Keep Asking found another gear late in the lane to get the win and established the new track record of 1:56. It was the first seasonal win for the small son of Chapter Seven–Sensibility for owners William Donovan, Joe Sbrocco, Jim Winske and George Ducharme Stable.

The second division of Sir Stakes was a six-horse affair. Titan Your Grip and Unscripted both made breaks behind the gate and knocked themselves out of contention.

Chaplind (Buter) was the first to the lead briefly as the 1-9 Sir Pinocchio and Bartlett took control prior to a soft opening panel of :29.1 and the half in :59.1. Down the backside Scott Zeron and Fly By were the first to pull the right line and mounted a challenge at the next stanza in 1:28.1.

Turning for home Chaplind made a break. Fly By made a strong attempt at the leader with a :27.4 kicker but it was too late as Sir Pinocchio held on for the win by one length in 1:56.3-$2.10. Crazy Brother Jim (Jim Marohn Jr.) finished third.

For the Dexter Cup winner, it was his first Sire Stakes victory of the year. The son of Met’s Hall–Lady Cromwell is trained by Edward Hart and owned by Carolyn Atherton. The win pushed his seasonal earnings to $118,558.

In other Excelsior action, the Paul Kelley trained Sky Box (E L Titan-Goddess), driven by Brent Holland, picked up a new lifetime best with a three length win in 1:57.4-$3.40 for his second win on the year.

Seven Minute Abs (Chapter Seven–Fitness Girl) won for trainer–driver Claude Huckabone III in 2:00.4 to eke out a win by a half-length over Jack’s Boy (Miller).

Bruce Aldrich Jr. registered a driving double on the nine-race card that generated a handle of $506,043.05 with a per race average of $56,227.