Winbak News

NEWS AND INSIGHT ON WINBAK FARM

Read below for the latest on Winbak Achievements and graduates.
Stories are from the leading industry news sources.

 

Monticello, NY --- It comes as no surprise that Jim Morrill Jr. continues to dominate the New York Sire Stakes, much like Wally Hennessey and Jeff Gregory have done in the past. Monday afternoon (June 29) at Monticello Raceway, Morrill won four of the eight New York Sire Stakes races for 2-year-old colt pacers, while Blue Chip Farms stallion Roll With Joe had four sons enter the winner's circle on the afternoon.

 

Race four was the $35,866 first division of Sire Stakes. This race had three lead changes before the half. Roll With Fred (Roll With Joe-Two Steppin' Sally) had the lead going to the quarter pole before the antsy Fine Diamond made his move to take the lead. Morrill was wrangling with Carlos Danger, trying to keep him in the hole.

 

The second $36,566 division of the NYSS saw the heavy favorite Autotune Hanover work hard for the lead, only to go off stride coming out of the first turn. Skip Jive (Rock N Roll Heaven-Dancinwiththestarz) was in the two hole when the favorite broke and inherited the lead. He stayed there and won by 3-1/4 lengths in 1:57.1 for trainer Paul Kelley and driver Mark McDonald.

 

Roll With Fred came right back to retake the lead, while flowing behind the live cover was Carlos Danger. Carlos Danger cleared and stayed on top the rest of the way, taking them past the three-quarters in 1:29. Fine Diamond made a weak attempt to challenge the leaders but his challenge stalled in the paddock turn. It appeared that Morrill was home free, but Brett Miller had Roll With Fred in high gear in deep stretch to nip Carlos Danger by a half-length in 1:58.3.

 

The most impressive individual performance of the day came in race 13, the $36,566 last heat of the NYSS. Joe Larry N Curly and Morrill shot out of the gate and carried the field through fractions of :28, :59 and 1:28.3. In the paddock turn Hudsonandbernard made his move, but was quickly dispatched as Morrill let his mount out a notch and quickly dispatched his completion.

 

Joe Larry N Curly was well in hand to win by four lengths in 1:56.3, the fastest race of the day, last quarter in :28. Joe Larry N Curly, a Roll With Joe-Life's Image colt is trained by Mark Harder.

 

In the winner’s circle Morrill, a man of few words, said, “He is the real deal.”

 

This win gave Morrill his fourth NYSS score and his fifth overall victory on the afternoon.

 

In the $15,000 first race Excelsior A division, local favorite KJ Erich (Roll With Joe-Michelles Scooter) was well in hand for driver Jim Taggart Jr. as he won by 6-1/2 lengths in 1:59.1 for co-owner and trainer Gary Messenger. In the second division of the Excelsior A, it was the grey son of Roll With Joe-Perfume N Pearls, White Rolls, scoring a wire-to-wire victory for trainer Tracy Brainard, giving Morrill his first win of the afternoon.

 

Tim Lanpher’s One Summer Chance (American Ideal-My True Delight) was the winner of the race five Excelsior B in 2:01.3 with Jim Marohn Jr. in the bike. In the second Excelsior B action in the eighth race. Zac And Forth (Village Jove-Jefferys Girl) broke his maiden in impressive fashion for driver Morrill, trainer Thomas Merton and owner Gary Haas, winning in 1:59.4. The final Excelsior B split saw Morrill pilot Here's The Scoop (Village Jove-Siobhan) to a 1:58.4 score for trainer Tracy Brainard.

 

Total handle for the 13-race card was $602,921.

 

Monticello Raceway is racing Monday–Friday this week, with a special fireworks night card on Friday (July 3), featuring more Sire Stakes action when the 2-year-old trotting colts come to town.