by John Manzi, publicity director, Monticello Raceway

Monticello, NY — Forty Five Red, the 1:55.4 winner of the $111,250 Sheppard final at Yonkers, will be among the 25 sophomore colt and gelding pacers that will be featured in the $130,000 New York Sires Stakes at Monticello Raceway on Thursday (Aug. 1).

The four stellar NYSS splits, each going for more than $32,000, will be accompanied by five $12,700 divisions of freshman pacing colts in the $63,000 Excelsior Series.

Although Forty Five Red, a son of If I Can Dream-Sekura Hanover owned by Burke Racing and Our Horse Cents Stable, has already bankrolled more than $84,000 in just three starts, it’ll be no cake-walk for trainer Ron Burke when they face the Linda Toscano-conditioned Murder He Wrote. That roan son of Kenneth J-JK Dancing Queen is undefeated in two lifetime starts and can brag of a 1:53.1 triumph in the Tompkins-Geers stakes at Tioga Downs on July 19. He’s the property of the Camelot Stable.

Forty Five Red will leave from the two hole with Yannick Gingras aboard while Murder He Wrote will start from post five with Tim Tetrick in the pilot’s seat. The two good looking youngsters will square off in the eighth race on the Mighty M card.

The racing program will open with arguably the most competitive of the four NYSS events.

Ideal Trick, a son of American Ideal-Special Magic from the Tony Alagna barn, already has a 1:53.3 record taken in a Meadowlands qualifier on July 13. He will start from the pole with Tim Tetrick aboard. But competition will loom from both Western Conquest and All Bets Off. The former, an Erv Miller-trained son of American Ideal-Aries Conquest owned by the Tanah Merah Farms, sports two wins in three starts, the fastest a 1:55.2 effort at Pocono Downs on June 20 while the latter, a son of Bettor’s Delight-Armbro Penelope, out of Canada from the Mike Sinclair stable, won his last start in 1:54 at Tioga Downs on July 21. He’s owned by Rosemary Sheiswell and 1721009 Ontario, Inc.

Western Conquest will leave from the three hole for driver Marcus Miller and Fern Paquet, Jr. will be up behind All Bets Off when they start from post six.

In the fifth race, another NYSS pace, Jimmy Morrill, Jr.’s New York Bets, a Bettor’s Delight-Absolutely Cam gelding, will tangle with Ray Schnittker’s I’m All Heart, also an altered son of Bettor’s Delight out of Sealed In My Head.

New York Bets, owned by the Purple Haze Stable, owns a half-mile track record of 1:56.1 taken at Saratoga Raceway on June 28 while I’m All Heart comes in off a 1:54.3 qualifying victory at the Meadowlands on July 20. He’s owned by Schnittker and the Creative Racing Stable.

However the Bob Rice-trained Keystone Honor deserves a look in that contest. The Bettor’s Delight-Heavenly Killean ridgling, owned by Mike Horn and Alexander Rice, will be making his first pari-mutuel start after three consecutive qualifying victories at Harrah’s Philadelphia, the fastest a 1:56 effort on July 23. Tim Tetrick will handle the driving chores from post five.

In the fourth and final NYSS event, going as race 12 on the card, the Jimmy Takter-trained Thereisapaceforus is the early favorite from post five. Yannick Gingras will drive the son of American Ideal-L’chaim, who is owned by Christine Takter and Brixton Medical Ab, from post five.

The five Excelsior Series affairs, all interesting and very competitive, will go as races four, six, nine, 11 and 13.

Post time for the 14-race card will be at 12:50 p.m.