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 triumph. The homebred daughter of Sand Vic-La Riviera Lindy knocked one full second off the former mark of 2:00.2 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 pacesetter 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 trotted the first-ever sub-2:00 mile at Monticello 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 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 with Lola De Vie to turn back Fairley Legal and driver Jacquie Ingrassia in a time of 2:01.4.
After a 1:00.3 half, Morrill gave his filly a breather up the backside and reached the three-quarters in 1:32.1 as Fairley Legal came from out of the pack to make a serious run for the lead. But that position was not to be reached when Morrill fed Lola De Vie her head and the big daughter of Credit Winner-Fan Favourite 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 for trainer-driverTrond Smedshammer.
When the gate sprung Smedshammer sent the Conway Hall-Lawn Tennis filly to the lead and they remained there throughout, although on the final turn Crazy Grigio (Stephane Bouchard) made a big move but she lost her footing midway around the bend which 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 because she caused interference while on a break 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 filly to a 2:02.4 victory in 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. She stayed there until the deep stretch when Cummings and Barn Babe finally found room in the lightning lane and they coasted on by the pacesetter to score a one length triumph.
“We were in a little bit of trouble up the backside and things looked bleak with the field 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 jus