by John Manzi, publicity director, Monticello Raceway
Monticello, NY — The best sophomore pacing colts in the State of New York tangled on Saturday afternoon (September 3) at Monticello Raceway in two $41,000 divisions of the New York Sires Stakes. When the dust had settled Uleavemebreathless and Vantastic Wizzard each won their respective splits.
Sent off at odds of 2-5, Uleavemebreathless defeated Chart Carrier and Raining Again in a time of 1:56. Jeff Gregory drove the winner for trainer Chris Ryder and owners Matt Meinzinger and Thomas Haupert.
As the gate sprung, Chart Carrier, who started from post three with Zeke Parker at the controls, paced around Raining Again and driver Howard Okusko, Jr. to gain command as the field rounded the first turn.
Uleavemebreathless and driver Jeff Gregory were content to find a seat behind Raining Again as Chart Carrier began to show the way to the quarter pole. But moments after Parker took command, Gregory moved his pacer to the outside and took over the lead as the quarter mile timer flashed :28 seconds.
As Uleavemebreathless led the field by the half in :57, Greg Merton made a bold first-up move with Bacon Hill Bandit and paced up alongside Gregory’s colt. The two then raced head and head up the backstretch with Chart Carrier and Raining Again tucked in second and third, respectively, along the pylons as the leaders passed the three-quarter pole in 1:27.
Bacon Hill Bandit began to fade in the final turn which caused Okusko to move Raining Again three-deep as the pacers rounded the final turn.
Chart Carrier, who saved all the ground, tried to rally up the passing lane and Raining Again made his charge on the far outside. But Uleavemebrerathless was up to the challenge and kept his competition at bay for a length triumph.
It was only the fifth seasonal start for Uleavemebreathless, who bankrolled over $183,000 in his freshman campaign.
“He (Uleavemebreathless) had a bone chip taken out of his ankle earlier this season,” Gregory explained about the colt only racing five times. “(Trainer)Chris (Ryder) brought him back slowly and now he’s perfect.”
Asked why he chose Uleavemebreathless over Chart Carrier, who he’d been driving regularly this year, Gregory quickly chirped “the other one has been racing hard all season long but Uleavemebreathless is fresh!”
The second division saw the Vantastic Racing Stable’s Vantastic Wizzard, driven by Kyle DiBenedetto, hold on for a head victory over Michael Scores and driver Jeff Gregory.
After Lost In The Buschs, driven by Claude Huckabone, III, showed the competition he wanted to be on the front-end when the pacers rounded the first turn, the remainder of the field began to look for a spot down along the pylons.
Lost In The Buschs led everyone past the quarter pole in :274 and as he passed the half-mile marker the timer flashed :573. But at that point trouble was on the way for Huckabone when DiBenedetto moved Vantastic Wizzard up to challenge.
However, Lost In The Buschs fought gamely until the three-quarters but Vantastic Wizzard paced around him. At that point DiBendetto and Vantastic Wizzard were two lengths to the good and they braced for the late charge from Michael Scores.
And it came when the betting favorite, who was saving ground behind the leaders, made his move.
Michael Scores charged up alongside Vantastic Wizzard at the top of the lane and the two battled to the finish line with the Jean Drolet-trained Vantastic Wizzard a head better in the 1:553 clocking. Lost In The Buschs held on for third money.
For DiBenedetto, who has won nearly 3,000 races at the Mighty M, the 1:553 victory with Vantastic Wizzard was his fastest.