by Michael Costanzo, simulcast manager, Saratoga Gaming and Raceway

Saratoga Springs, NY — Six divisions of 2-year-old colt and gelding pacers will vie for their share of $221,002 in purse money on Friday, July 18, when taking their first steps down the New York Sire Stakes trail at Saratoga Gaming and Raceway.

A total of 46 horses were entered for the six New York Sire Stakes events, including two-time winner Spacehill, who will start in the evening’s $36,367 opening event off an impressive 1:56.2 triumph at Hawthorne Racecourse on July 11.

That victory marked the second trip to the winner’s circle for the son of Space Shuttle-Matts Life, who also tallied a 15 length win in 2:02.1 at the Schuyler County Fair in Rushville on July 2.

Owned by Joshua Demon Hill and Edna Collins, and trained by Erv Miller, Spacehill has drawn post one for his New York Sire Stakes division and will be driven by Jim Morrill, Jr.

Two races later, Morrill will return to pilot two-time winner Sea Suds from post one in the $36,367 third race New York Sire Stakes split for owner James Dunn and conditioner Todd Marciano.

A son of Riverboat King-TJ Run, Sea Suds paced a winning mile in 2:01.2 to take the Red Jacket Series final at Buffalo Raceway on July 4. The colt also prevailed in an opening leg event of that series in 2:02.3 in mid-June.

Also slated for a start in the third race New York Sire Stakes juvenile pace is Hay Goodlooking, the fastest 2-year-old on the program with a wining mile in 1:55.1 at Vernon Downs on July 8.

Owned by Theodore Gewertz, Samuel Dotro, and Deborah Brunet, the son of Art Major-Monique’s Legacy scored by six lengths in his Vernon victory, and will challenge Sea Suds from post six with trainer Gates Brunet at the lines.

Conditioner Ray Schnittker will start four horses on the Friday Sire Stakes program, none more promising than My Last Laugh, runner-up in a division of the Reynolds Memorial Stakes at Pocono Downs, who will start from post two in the $37,067 sixth race split.

A modest winner in 2:03 when scoring at Goshen on July 3, the son of Sealed N Delivered-Fancy Creek Funny returned to finish second in the aforementioned Reynolds, beaten only by River Shark, who paced a winning mile in 1:53.2.

Schnittker will also send out Reynolds Memorial Stakes third-place finishers Bet The Town (Bettor’s Delight-Town Sweetheart) and Bull Rush (Bettor’s Delight-Red Hot Heather), along with recent Goshen winner Allmyrowdyfriends (Bettor’s Delight-Heatherjeankillean), in Friday’s New York Sire Stakes from Saratoga.

First race post time for the 13-race program is 7:05 p.m., with Sire Stakes events scheduled for the first, third, fifth, sixth, eighth, and 11th races on the card.