Monticello, NY – It will be the battle of the undefeated when Fragment and Quickaway go head-to-head for the first time this season during the sixth leg of the New York Sire Stakes at Monticello Raceway on Monday (July 28), with 2-year-old male pacers having their first look at the famed Catskill Mountain oval.
Nine freshmen will contend for the lone NYSS event, worth $112,100, with the top four-point earners in the division going head-to-head. The quality laden field is a highly competitive group containing two unbeaten colts.
Fragment (PP5) will be driven by Jason Bartlett. The son of Huntsville has three NYSS wins to his credit this season. He scored in his last start at Saratoga in 1:54.3 and is trained by Per Engblom. The other unbeaten steed is Quickaway (PP8-Brett Beckwith), who has registered sire stakes wins at Saratoga and Yonkers and is trained by Blake Macintosh.
Hunt Off The Press (PP1-Tyler Buter) has been a model of consistency this season with two seconds and one win in three starts. He scored in a sire stakes event at Buffalo and was second last start at Saratoga, where he was turned away by Quickway. Lakewood Nick (PP7-Dan Rawlings) has a pair of second-place finishes at Saratoga and Buffalo and is trained by Ron Burke.
Also on the card are two divisions of the Excelsior Series; each dash is worth $20,000. The top two-point earners have drawn the same division, race six, and will start side by side. Shakeitonthebeach (PP3-Bartlett) has won his last two Excelsior races at Saratoga and Buffalo for trainer Shane Tritton. Southwind Iron (PP4-Rawlings) was a winner in his last start at Saratoga in 1:57.1 and has a pair of place performances.
The morning-line favorite other dash, race eight, is Wish You The Best (PP2-Jordan Stratton) by virtue of his last winning start in overnight company at Mohegan Pennsylvania’s Pocono Downs in 1:54.2. Ray Schnittker has an entry with Ghost Hunt (PP6-Schnittker) and Artistic Lover (PP8-Mark MacDonald).
Post time for the card is 12:10 p.m. (EDT).