by Shawn Wiles, for Monticello Raceway

Monticello, NY — On Tuesday (Sept. 19), Monticello Raceway will host the final leg of the New York Sire Stakes for 2-year-old pacing fillies. The next stop for the upper echelon fillies will be the NYSS Night of Champions at Yonkers Raceway on Saturday (Oct. 14).

As luck, would have it, or not, the top four point leaders are competing in the same heat of the Sire Stakes in race 10. Ubettergo Go is the point leader with 207 points, followed closely by Hurricane Shorty with 205, Alexis Faith with 200 and Betterthangraduate with 195.

The first heat of Sire Stakes is race eight and the six-horse field will race for $53,500, Surreal Feeling has reeled off six consecutive wins in the Excelsior B class. The $6,000 Goshen Yearling graduate was impressive last week at Batavia, where she made a break at the start and gathered herself to still win in 1:57.2, taking a new lifetime record in the process. The connections of Surreal Feeling have opted to jump over the Excelsior A’s and tackle the elite group. She will start from post five for trainer Dale Lawton and will be driven by Monticello Raceway dash leader Jim DeVaux.

KJ’s Bekah (post four) has traveled a similar path, already a three-time winner in the Excelsior A class. The $140,000 Lexington Selected Sale yearling purchase is owned by Kenneth Jacobs. The daughter of American Ideal–Upfrontandpersonal is trained by Linda Toscano and will be driven by Jason Bartlett.

The second dash for the cash ($54,500 purse) has a trio of evenly matched freshman fillies, all with similar paths, as they have individually won three Sire Stakes each thus far this season.

The top point leader of the category, Ubettergo Go, drew post position four. The daughter of Art Major-Ubetterthink is trained by Blake Macintosh, while Mark MacDonald will drive. Her credentials are impressive with more than $87,000 in earnings. She scored a NYSS win in her last start at Batavia Downs in 1:55.3 and sports a speed badge of 1:53 taken at Vernon Downs.

Right next to her behind the starting gate is another Goshen Yearling Sale alumni in Hurrikane Shorty ($8,000) from post five. Her black type includes two NYSS wins at Yonkers and one at Saratoga. The Art Major–Speed Date offspring is owned by Little E, Jason Settlemoir, Arthur Geiger and David Stolz. She is trained by Kevin McDermott and Jason Bartlett is in the bike. She is the fastest filly of the bunch with a mark of 1:52, taken at the Meadowlands.

The morning line favorite, by virtue of drawing the rail, is Alexis Faith. She also has three win blankets in her tack trunk this year. She is third in points in the division with 200. Casie Coleman trains the American Ideal-Cannae Cammie bay filly for owners West Wins Stable, Jim Fielding, J. Robert Darrow and Kevin McKinlay.

The two-time NYSS winner Betterthangraduate will start from post six and will be driven by Matt Kakaley.

Post time is 12:50 p.m.