Eight divisions of two-year-old trotting colts and geldings will be on display Thursday at Monticello Raceway in the New York Sire Stakes and Excelsior Series.
There will be three $44,000 divisions of the NYSS and five $12,700 Excelsior splits. Post time for the 14-race card will be 12:50 p.m.
The Lindy Treaty appears to be the one to beat in the second NYSS split (Race 11). Trainer/driver Ray Schnittker will be up behind the Conway Hall colt and they will start from Post 8. Among his competition is Izzy Jokin, an altered George Ducharme-trained son of RC Royalty that will start from Post 1 with driver Chris Lems.
Lems and Ducharme will team up again in the third NYSS division (Race 12) when they send out the RC Royalty gelding My Friend Charley from Post 3.
Arguably, the softest of the three NYSS splits is the first division (Race 6). All eight colts in the contest are maidens.
The undercard will feature five Excelsior Series freshmen trots.
Local railbirds will get to see Hall of Famers Cat Manzi, John Campbell and Jim Doherty, along with Jim Morrill Jr. and Jason Bartlett, among others, in various NYSS events on Thursday.
(With files from Monticello)