by John Manzi, publicity director, Monticello Raceway

Monticello, NY — On Tuesday afternoon (July 15) Monticello Raceway will host 3-year-old trotting colts and geldings in both the New York Sire Stakes and the Excelsior Series. Two NYSS events, along with five Excelsior races, will offer more than $163,000 in purse money.

The NYSS events mark the third of eight legs for the sophomore trotters at various New York racetracks en route to the $225,000 final at Yonkers Raceway on Sept. 13. Along the way the competing colts and geldings will earn points in each leg, depending on the placements, with the top eight point recipients earning a berth in the rich finale.

Although the Excelsior races outnumber the NYSS, five to two, those competing in the sire stakes events, at least at this time, are the cream of the crop and each division will go for a purse of $59,100. Two of the Division A Excelsior races go for $12,600 purses while the three Division B trotters each race for $6,600.

The NYSS trots will go as races eight and 12 on Tuesday’s 13-race card and both fields contain quality trotters.

The first $59,100 split pits Gural Hanover, an altered son of Crazed-Givemearing, against Expressive Action, a Conway Hall-Yetta’s Angel colt. Both young trotters have similar credentials with each having three wins, one second and one third in five starts. And both have won on big tracks in 1:54 and a piece although Expressive Action has already earned more than $167,000 while Gural Hanover’s current bankroll tops $75,000. However, the latter has captured divisions of the two previous NYSS events at Saratoga Raceway and at Buffalo Raceway.

The odds-maker set 4-5 morning line odds on Gural Hanover while Expressive Action has been rated at 2-1. Gural Hanover is owned by Burke Racing, Weaver Bruscemi, Little E Stable and Panhellenic Stable and will start from the four hole with Jimmy Morrill Jr. at the controls. Meanwhile, Expressive Action, trained by John Grasso for the John Grasso Stable, Inc., will have his regular driver, Mike Simons, when they start from post position two.

Cash Me Out, with three consecutive victories — two in NYSS action — has been rated the 2-1 early line favorite in the second $59,100 division. His last, a 1:56.4 come-from-behind triumph over Expressive Action at Buffalo Raceway was a beauty. The Cash Hall-China Victory colt has four wins and three seconds in eight starts and more than $88,000 in earnings. Owned by Traylor Racing and trained by Cheryl McGivern, Cash Me Out will start on the far outside from post six with Mickey McGivern at the lines.

Flyhawk El Durado, the winner of last year’s $225,000 2-year-old colt and gelding final, will be the main competition in the six horse field. Trained by Mark Ford for Martin Scharf, the Conway Hall-El Paso Gal colt has purses of more than $77,000 and a best win time of 1:54.1 taken at Mohawk Racetrack. Mark MacDonald will be in the pilot’s seat when the colt leaves from post four.

The five Excelsior Stakes trots make a solid undercard on the Tuesday program. First post will be at 12:50 p.m.