Monticello to host NYSS on Monday
At 0h18, on May 31, 2025 • By Shawn Wiles, Monticello Raceway
Monticello Raceway will host its first New York Sire Stakes of the year with 3-year-old trotting colts coming to town on Monday (June 2). Seven colts are entered in the lone Sire Stakes event vying for $119,700. Also on tap are two $20,000 splits of the Excelsior Stakes.
The Sire Stakes event is carded as race three. Moving up in class is BJM’s Lil Man who has been installed the early morning line favorite after his win in his last start at Vernon Downs in 1:55.2 in the Excelsior class.
Karinchak was a winner last year at Monticello in Sire Stakes company and will start from post one The son of Chapter Seven is trained by Ray Schnittker and will be driven by Mark MacDonald.
Ake Svanstedt brings a pair of Chapter Seven colts to the fray. He will drive Gangsta Talk (post three) and Happy Jack B (post four) will be driven by Scott Zeron.
Happy Jack B ended his 2-year-old campaign on a high note by taking his mark at the Red Mile in the Bluegrass Stakes in 1:54.1, He was a Breeders Crown starter and earned $160,996 as a freshman.
The two divisions of Excelsior Stakes are slated for races one and six.
Low Inside (post three–Dan Daley) is the 5-2 favorite in race one. The son of Devious Man finished second in his last start in this company at Vernon Downs. Habanero Blues (post two–Tyler Buter) scored his first win of 2025 in this class, with a 1:56.4 at Vernon Downs.
The other heat has eight starters with a Jessica Okusko entry of Chapamando (post six–MacDonald) and Banksy Monkey (post seven-Greg Merton), a full bother to Gimpanzee, a winner of $2.7 million. He took his lifetime mark at Vernon with an Excelsior win in 1:55.2.
Post time is 12:10 p.m.
