Joey The Czar's 1:55.1 fastest NYSS split

The rain was again part of the Thursday, June 10, afternoon race card at Monticello Raceway, but the five divisions of the  3-year-old  pacing colts and geldings in the $185,000 New York Sire Stakes got along well before any deluge came.

 

Art For Art’s Sake won in 1:56.1; Screenplay was victorious in 1:55.3; Art Two D Two rambled to victory in 1:56.1; Jo Pa’s Fod cruised home an easy winner in 1:55.4, and Joey The Czar’s 1:55.1 was the fastest mile clocking of the afternoon.

 

Jordan Stratton handled the driving chores behind Joey The Czar and they never had an anxious moment  en route to a three-length triumph. Stratton sent the Art Major gelding to the lead  and they gained command before the quarter pole. Once in front Stratton put the colt on auto-pilot as they raced unchallenged to the finish. Hanks Kid finished second for Matt Kakaley.

 

"I knew we were the best going in (to the race),” Stratton said after his victory. “I was just a passenger.”

 

Joey The Czar is trained by Bruce Saunders and  owned by Kevin Gee.

 

Jim Campbell was on hand to see his pupil, Jo Pa’s Fod, ramble to an easy victory for driver Jimmy  Morrill Jr. Morrill, always slick in the sulky, let Jo Pa’s Fod ease to the front in an soft :29.2 quarter and then he seemed to be just going along for the ride as the Art Major gelding paced to a  two- length triumph over Erich’s Best and driver Fern Paquet Jr.

 

Morrill, who usually is a man of few words, said to Campbell in the winner’s circle, “I never even pulled the plugs.”

 

Jo Pa’s Fod is owned by the Emposimato Stables.

 

Zeke Parker got the Sire Stakes program underway in the second race when trainer Joe Anderson handed him the lines and, as he has done for over 10,000 times before,  the bearded- wonder steered Art For Art’s Sake  to victory.

 

At the halfway point, after following the leaders, Zeke  moved the favorite to the outside and then to the lead and at the three quarters only the margin of victory was in doubt. At the wire they were seven lengths ahead of runner-up, Flexjet and driver Danny Cappello Jr.

 

“I hustled him to the front at the half and he won it easily,” Parker said and then added ,“the track seems a little dead today after the rain (from yesterday). He’s a nice horse and a pleasure to drive.”

 

Screenplay also went an imposing mile for young Jimmy Whittemore. After Stephane Bouchard and Capital Blue Chip gained command on the first turn, Whittemore rushed Screenplay for the lead, which he obtained before the quarter pole. But just as Screenplay took command, Bouchard sent Capital Blue Chip  back to the front and the two pacers marched one-two around the oval until Whittemore moved Screenplay out at the top of the stretch and they cruised home an easy winner over Bouchard’s colt.

 

“He showed a lot of speed as a 2-year-old  but he a feisty sort and hurt himself in his stall. and we never got a chance to race him,” trainer Ray Van Dreason said of Screenplay. “So we castrated him and turned him out and he came back a race horse this year.”

 

David Towne, John Baldwin and Morris Eccleston are the proud owners of Screenplay, who now remains undefeated in three lifetime starts.

 

Art Two D Two  made a laugher out of his $36,793 division when Joe Pavia Jr. sent the homebred altered son of Art Major to the lead on the first turn and they cruised home and easy three-length winner over Bullish Blue Chip and  driver  Greg Merton.

 

Pavia trains  Art Two D Two  for owners Steve Held, DijoRacing Stable, Joseph Barbara and Michael Rich. (Monticello Raceway)