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>Monticello, NY --- The cream of the crop of the New York Sire Stakes 2-year-old pacing fillies will be looking to add precious points to seasonal resumes with hopes of having enough to be among the top eight who will automatically earn a berth in their $225,000 final on the Night of Champions on September 22.


Two divisions -- one for $71,815 and the other for $73,115 -- will be the featured attractions at Monticello Raceway on Thursday afternoon (August 16). Many of the fillies currently in the top ten in points will be on the racetrack ready for battle that day.


Leading the way is Summertime Lea, a daughter of Lislea-Donna Summer whose four wins and a second in five lifetime NYSS starts has her leading the points battle with 225. Owned by Weaver Bruscemi, Frank Baldachino, Earl Smith and the Burke Racing Stable and trained by Ron Burke, Summertime Lea comes into the Mighty M contest off a stunning 1:52.2 triumph at Vernon Downs on August 8. However, she’ll have to start on the far outside from post position eight which could provide a problem for driver Jimmy Morrill, Jr.


Although Summertime Lea appears to be much superior than her competition, there are a couple of fillies that could prove challenging. They are JK All That Jazz, from the powerful Linda Toscano barn, a 1:56 winner on Saratoga’s double oval this year and Road Bet, the Mickey Peterson-trained filly who was a close second in her last start at Vernon Downs, individually timed in 1:52.3. The former will be driven by Andy Miller while the latter will have Andy McCarthy in the sulky.


The aforementioned will lock horns in the 10th race on the special 15-race card.


Arguably the most competitive split will be race eight where locally owned filly Park N Orchard (100 points) will arrive here with two consecutive victories and three wins in her four lifetime starts. Co-owned and trained by George Zitone (of nearby Montague, N.J.) and Jay Platt, the daughter of Art Major-Allamerican Meadow will start on the far outside from post seven and be driven by Stephane Bouchard.


Freetime (145 points), an Artiscape-Bubbas Joicey B filly with two wins in five starts -- the fastest in 1:56 over Yonkers Raceway’s double oval -- will prove to be no pushover. Owned by the Andy Miller Stable and Triple D Stable she’ll haveAndy Miller at the controls.


Others that deserve a second look include Brussels Hanover (120 points), a 1:57 half-mile track winner with Jimmy Morrill, Jr. in the pilot’s seat, and Silk Pajamas (135 points), a 1:54.4 winner at Tioga Downs' five-eighths-mile oval with Jason Bartlett in the sulky.


The former, a daughter of Bettor's Delight-Barcelona Hanover, will leave from the two hole while the latter, a Bettor's Delight-Silkandiamonds filly, will start from post five.


Along with the NYSS action will be five $12,700 divisions of the Excelsior Series for freshman pacing fillies. They’ll go as races one, five, seven, 12 and 14.


Post time for the 15-race card will be at 12:50 p.m.