Monticello: Keep Asking trots track record mile in Monday's NYSS

Keep Asking knocked a fifth of a second off the track record for a 3-year-old colt trotter thanks to a 1:56 effort in the first of two New York Sire Stakes tilts on Monday afternoon at Monticello Raceway. Dexter Cup champion Sir Pinocchio took the other section.

Racing in the opening $59,000 division, Keep Asking (Tyler Buter) yielded to sit in the pocket behind Super Duper Cooper (Jason Bartlett) passing the 28 2/5 quarter and remained in second through the 58 second half and the 1:27 3/5 three-quarters, though he was out and on the move two-wide at the latter marker. Super Duper Cooper managed to withstand Keep Asking's bid around the last turn and turned for home first, but Keep Asking kept coming on the outside and managed to get up for the win by half a length. Nottingham (Marcus Miller) came in third.

Trainer George Ducharme also bred and co-owns Keep Asking, a Chapter Seven colt, with partners W.J. Donovan, Joe Sbrocco and Jim Winske. Keep Asking has won half of his 14 starts, has banked $321,451 and paid $3.70 to win as the 4-5 favorite.

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In the other $58,100 test, Sir Pinocchio (Bartlett) tipped out of the pocket en route to the 29 1/5 quarter and wrestled command away from Chaplind (Buter) before that station. After seizing control, Sir Pinocchio backed down to the tempo to 59 1/5 at the half and 1:28 1/5 at three-quarters, then sprinted home in 28 2/5 to hold off a gaining Fly By (Scott Zeron) by a length in a 1:56 3/5 mile. Crazy Brother Jim (Jim Marohn Jr.) grabbed third.

A Met's Hall gelding, Sir Pinocchio is trained by Ed Hart for owner/breeder Carolyn Atherton. He has a summary of 5-3-2 from 12 trips behind the gate, has pocketed $166,985 and returned $2.10 to win as the 1-9 favorite.