Monticello: Sandy's Bolt, Groovy Joe repeat in NY Sire Stakes for rookie pacing males

Sandy's Bolt and Groovy Joe backed up their victories from the first leg of the New York Sire Stakes for 2-year-old pacing colts and geldings on June 20 at Yonkers by winning two of the four $26,500 divisions that were held today at Monticello Raceway.

Racing in the opening flight, Sandy's Bolt (Jason Bartlett) showed the way through panels of 28 1/5, 59, and 1:27 3/5, then opened up in a 28 4/5 final quarter to win by 6 1/2 lengths in a career-best 1:56 2/5. Linus (Matt Kakaley) was the runner-up, and Ideal Artillery (Jordan Stratton) came in third.

A colt from the first crop of Bolt The Duer, Sandy's Bolt is trained by Jose Godinez for owners Blindswitch Racing Stable, Dolne Farm Services LLC., Gary Axelrod, and Denise Dennis. Bred by Joel Miller, Sandy's Bolt was a $5,500 purchase at the Buckeye Yearling Sale and is out of the Real Desire mare White Sand (1:56 4/5, $22,009), making Sandy's Bolt a half-brother to Talk Strategy (Western Terror, 1:50 2/5, $147,950). Sandy's Bolt was the 1-5 favorite and paid $2.70 to win.

Groovy Joe (Kakaley) took the final section in 1:56 4/5. He settled third as I Rolled The Dice (Jim Morrill Jr.) went to the opening quarter in 29 and the half in 59 2/5, then made a first-over attack at the pace-setter going towards the 1:28 2/5 three-quarters. Groovy Joe and I Rolled The Dice continued to battle around the far turn, but Groovy Joe put him away in the lane and drew off to score by a pair of lengths. I Rolled The Dice held second, and Oreo Dream Xtreme came in third.

Trainer Blake MacIntosh also co-owns Groovy Joe, a Roll With Joe colt, with partner Hutt Racing Stable. Groovy Joe, who was bred by Winbak Farm, was a $17,000 acquisition at the Goshen Yearling Sale and is out of former Mistletoe Shalee champion Chotat Milk (Jate Lobell, 1:51, $602,852). Sent off as the 1-2 choice, he returned $3.00 to win.

Back in the second split, Always On The Hunt (Mark MacDonald) looped Level Up (Stratton) for control going to the 29 1/5 opening quarter and then reached the half in 1:00 even. Always On The Hunt and Level Up hooked up again going to the 1:28 4/5 three-quarters as Stratton vacated the cones, and they would duel all the way to the wire, with Always On The Hunt holding sway by a nose in a 1:56 1/5 mile. Major On The Beach (Kakaley) was third.

Ray Schnittker trains, bred, and co-owns Always On The Hunt, a colt by American Ideal, with Steven Arnold. Always On The Hunt, who was second in the sire stakes at Yonkers, is out of the Somebeachsomewhere mare Beachesofcheyenne (2:00 1/5, $9,578), a full sister to Huntsville (1:47 4/5, $1,704,242). Always On The Hunt was one of three horses in the race sent off at 2-1 and paid $6.80 to win.

Rounding out the sire stakes winners for the day was Save Me A Dance, who carried Bartlett to a 1:56 1/5 victory in the third tilt. Save Me A Dance moved to the front passing the 28 1/5 first quarter, paced on the engine through middle-half fractions of 58 1/5 and 1:27 1/5, and won by a length and a quarter over a first-up Splash Brother (MacDonald). Major Asset (Mike Simons) checked in third.

The winning Heston Blue Chip colt is trained by Andrew Harris and is a homebred for Robert Key. The runner-up to Groovy Joe in his contest at Yonkers, Save Me A Dance is out of the Real Artist mare Dance Hall Girl (1:57 3/5, $16,022), a half-sister to the likes of Mars Man (Lis Mara, 1:51, $143,199). The 7-2 second choice, Save Me A Dance returned $9.10 to win.