by John Manzi, publicity director, Monticello Raceway

Monticello, NY — What a difference a few months make — especially for 2-year-old trotting fillies. In years past, Monticello Raceway usually featured the New York Sires Stakes freshman trotting fillies in late June or early July, but as the youngsters age and become familiar with their chores when they race in September, the added months of experience undoubtedly produce better performances.

Case in point: the $333,000 NYSS freshman filly trots at the Mighty M on September 3.

Not only was the track record lowered to 2:00.4 in the first $72,518 division by Nirvana Blue Chip, but that mark was then equaled in the final split by Princess Maddie. Both clockings erased the former standard of 2:01.3 which was set by Sappho Blue Chip in 2005.

Nirvana Blue Chip rallied to a track record 2:00.4 victory for driver Mike Simons.

The NYSS got underway in race number two with Nirvana Blue Chip’s driver Mike Simons content to sit back in fourth position and allow Brian Allen and Alpine Suzie to cut fractions of :29.4, 1:01 and 1:30.4 before Simons moved the daughter of Credit Winner in the final turn. When he did, Nirvana Blue Chip trotted alongside the leader and at the wire the two fillies were heads apart with Nirvana Blue Chip ($4.10) the winner over Alpine Suzie, a daughter of CR Excalibur. Both fillies were identically timed in 2:00.4.

Nirvana Blue Chip is owned by Steve Organ and trained by Jim Raymer, whose pupil Green Day recently won the $644,770 Yonkers Trot and the $338,000 Nevele Pride, right here at the Mighty M.

Nirvana Blue Chip’s track record stood for about two hours until Stephane Bouchard sent Princess Maddie to the lead in the final NYSS split and the big strapping daughter of Dilbert Hanover cruised to an easy gate-to-wire victory in 2:00.4, which equaled the record set six races earlier. It’s Coast Time, a Credit Winner filly in rein to Jeff Gregory, closed strongly to finish second, but she was still 1-1/4 lengths behind Princess Maddie ($5.90) at the end.

Racehorsephoto.com photo

Princess Maddies’s 2:00.4 performance for Stephane Bouchard equaled the track record set six races earlier.

Princess Maddie is owned by William Van Bramer and Harold Smith, and trained by Jeff Deslandes.

Another stellar performance was turned in by the Conway Hall filly Tierra ($14.20) when driver John Stark, Jr. guided her to a wire-to-wire, 2:01.2 victory for owners Edmund Smith and Thomas McTygue. Jeff Gregory handled the second place finisher, Winbak Dream, a daughter of Malabar Man.

The other $72,518 division was a strange one indeed after the two leaders went off stride in the final turn and Nurse Conway, in rein to Brian Mattison, picked up all the marbles after being seven lengths behind at the top of the lane.

Because of the breaking fillies, the final quarter was timed in :32 and the two longshots finished one-two in the 2:02.1 clocked mile. The winner, Nurse Conway, was sent off at odds of over 19-1 while the second place finisher RC Biscuit, driven by Dan Daley, left the gate at odds of 45-1.

Obviously big payoffs were precipitated by the longshots. Nurse Conway paid $41.40, $14.20 and $7.80 across the board. RC Biscuit paid $31.80 for place and $17.20 for show. And to add to the big numbers, third place finisher Makeherownway (Pascal Beaulieu) paid $17.20 for show.

Nurse Conway is owned by ACL Stuteri AB and trained by Anette Lorentzon.