by John Manzi, publicity director, Monticello Raceway

Monticello, NY — RC Royalty has been tabbed the morning line favorite in Monticello Raceway’s $264,000 William J. Sullivan Memorial Trot, which is set to go to post on Monday afternoon, July 16.

Chip Campbell’s pride and joy comes in the event off a 1:56 overall track record performance in the Sullivan Memorial elims last Monday where he started from the rail position. And, as luck will have it, RC Royalty has again drawn the coveted rail post position.

Last Monday driver-trainer Dan Daley put the son of Credit Winner on the front end and the big strapping brown stallion out-footed his competition when he trotted a last half in :56.4 to lead Ripped (Greg Merton) to the finish line in what turned out to be the fastest trotting mile in the 50-year history of the Mighty M.

Can he do it again? Only time will tell but undoubtedly he’ll be the one to beat.

Ripped, who’ll start from post three, will again have local teamster Greg Merton at the controls and it’s a good bet that Merton will try to once again get a two hole journey behind RC Royalty, that is if Daley takes his big guy to the front.

However, there are plenty of others in the contest that merit consideration: veterans like Sand Vic and Man About Town to name a couple.

Sand Vic, a winner of over $2 million is his illustrious career, was second last week in a Sully elim, beaten a neck by a fast closing Man About Town whose 1:56.2 victory was a track record for 4-year-old geldings and also was one tick faster than the former overall track standard of 1:56.3 set by Thishorsewillfly during the 2005 campaign.

Sand Vic will have the driving services of Brian Sears when the 6-year-old Mr Vic stallion leaves from post position six. Man About Town, a Self Possessed 4-year-old gelding, will start from the four hole and again have Yannick Gingras in the bike.

The stellar field — with drivers — lines up as follows: RC Royalty (1-Dan Daley); Self Professed (2-Stephane Bouchard); Ripped (3-Greg Merton); Man About Town (4-Yannick Gingras); Med Vac (5-Larry Stalbaum); Sand Vic (6-Brian Sears); Swan Image (7-David Miller); and JM Vangogh (8-Jeff Gregory).

The Sullivan Memorial is slated as race seven on the 13-race Mighty M card on Monday. First post will be at 1:10 p.m.