Monticello: Lady Riviera sets new track mark for rookie fillies

With the temperature hovering around 91 degrees and the racetrack lightning fast, New York-bred freshmen trotting fillies were front and center at Monticello Raceway with five divisions of the $148,000 NYSS and three $12,800 splits in the Excelsior Series.

Right out of the box in the very first $28,362 NYSS split a new track record was established by Lady Riviera when Ron Pierce guided her to a 1:59 2/5 triumph. The homebred daughter of Sand Vic- La Riviera Lindy knocked one full second of the former mark of 2:00 2/5 set by Jezzy in 2010.

Content to sit back off the quick early pace, Pierce got his filly started when he moved her behind cover as the field passed the three-eighths pole. After a three-deep move as they headed around the final turn Lady Riviera trotted by the pace-setter Americash Express (Trevor Henry) and went on to a very easy five-length victory. Single Rock, driven by Dan Daley, rallied to photo-out Fifty Shades (Eric Goodell) for second money as Americash Express faded and finished fourth.

In the winner’s circle Pierce had a broad smile on his face as he and owner- trainer Rich Banca shared some comments. “She did it (won) real easy”, Pierce could be heard telling Banca. “She’s sweet; real sweet.”

Lady Riviera, who is a half-sister to star older trotter Chapter Seven, trotted the first-ever sub-two minute mile by a 2 year-old trotting filly and her final time was also two-fifths of a second faster than the colt’s mark of 1:59 4/5 set by RC Royalty in 2005.

Sent off the prohibitive 1-4 favorite Lady Riviera paid $2.50 for win.

Jimmy Morrill, Jr. used the front-end route in another $28,362 NYSS division to guide Lola De Vie to victory over Fairley Legal and driver Jacquie Ingrassia in a time of 2:01 4/5.

After a 1:00 3/5 half, Morrill gave his filly a breather up the backside and reached the three quarters in 1:32 1/5 as Fairley Legal came from out of the pack to make a serious run for the lead. But when Morrill fed Lola De Vie her head, the big daughter of Credit Winner-Fan favorite trotted away in the lane for a 1-1/2 length victory over Ingrassia’s filly. Amor Deo took home the show dough for Trond Smedshammer.

Owned by the Joie De Vie Farm and trained by Chris Ryder, Lola De Vie retuned a $3.00 win mutuel.

A third NYSS split went to Proclaiming April in a 2:01 clocking trainer-driver Trond Smedshammer.

When the gate sprung Smedshammer sent the Conway Hall-Lawn Tennis filly to the lead and they remained there throughout. Crazy Grigio (Stephane Bouchard) made a big move on the final turn but she lost her footing midway around the bend and caused interference with Royal Mathilda (Dan Daley), which allowed Proclaiming April to scoot away to a three-length victory. Crazy Grigio got back at her work quickly and charged home and was second under the wire, but she was disqualified and placed out of the money. That enabled You Want Me and Brian Mattison to be moved up to second and Temple Of Athena (Ray Schnittker) to third place.

Proclaiming April, who is owned by White Birch Farm, paid $20.20 for win.

Western New York import Barn Babe, with John Cummmings at the controls, gave owner Steve Pratt a present when he guided the Cash Hall-My Baby’s Momma to a 2:02 4/5 victory in yet another $28,362 split.

When the starting judge said go, Cummings sent Barn Babe to the front and when the field settled in the backstretch Jimmy Morrill, Jr. moved Classic Paola to the lead where she stayed until the deep stretch. Cummings and Barn Babe finally found room in the lightning lane and they coasted on by the pace-setter to score a one length triumph.

“We were in a little bit of trouble up the backside and things looked bleak with the filed tightly bunched but luckily the passing lane gave us a clear shot at victory and when I moved my filly there (to the passing lane) she just trotted by the field to win it,” Cummings said.

Barn Babe returned an $3.00 win mutuel.

In what fans and handicappers alike thought would be the biggest and best contest of the day - Daytona Blue Chip and Order By Credit- never materialized.

Horse races, as most know, don’t always go as predicted. First Daytona Blue Chip, winner of her only two starts in 2:01 and a piece, caused a recall and then on the second try she went away on the run despite all efforts by her trainer-driver Ray Schnittker.

Then the betting favorite Order By Credit, a daughter of Credit Winner-Hostess, who came into the race off a 1:58 1/4—last ¼ in :27 4/5-- baby race victory at the Meadowlands' mile oval, got caught up in traffic and never was a factor.

Quietly Jeff Gregory got the eventual winner, Crazy Eyes, away in third place and when he finally moved her the Crazed –Eyecon filly moved alongside the leaders and proved to be the strong horse in the lane. At the wire she stopped the timer in 2:02 1/5 over Crazy About NY (Scott Mongeon) and Playful Credit (Brian Mattison).

Three $12,800 Excelsior Series races were also carded and Jimmy Morrill, Jr. won a pair of them. He scored with One Sharp Chick in 2:01 4/5 and with Pretty Crazy in 2:03 1/5. Dan Daley won the other behind Dancing Louisa in a 2:03 clocking.

The betting card, which featured eight 2–year-old filly trots, produced wagers of $860,879.

(edited release-John Manzi)