The "B' Track Tour Continues - Monticello Raceway

This week, the B track tour continues with a stop at Monticello Raceway, about ninety miles north of New York City.  Monticello Raceway during its glory years used to be a resort track racing during the summer months when the Catskill Mountains were a destination.  Once the Catskills declined, so went the track.  Prior to VLTs being installed, racing deteriorated to $2,500 claimers with purses falling below the $1,000 mark at times.  Like many tracks, when the VLTs came into being, racing flourished once again on the track.

Today, racing at Monticello continues to benefit from the VLTs though things are not as rosy as they once were.  VLTs do not guarantee a race track's success.  Empire Resorts, the track operator is in financial distress.  Since VLTs came to Yonkers Raceway and Pocono Downs, Monticello Raceway lost a lot of their market to these new locations and the local community is unable to keep the machines humming.  Plans for an Indian Casino have fallen to the wayside as their partner has backed out.  Plans to move the raceway to a new location has run into problems as a result of the economic downturn.  Meanwhile, purses have retreated sisgnificantly, but still an improvement over the pre-VLT era.

Racing is clearly an after thought at Monticello.  As of my last trip up there (roughly a year ago), race fans were relegated to a section of the plant that has last been updated in the 1970's.  Before VLTs, there was Sunday racing and many people, including myself, used to make a day of a trip up the Quickway for a day of racing.  These days, racing is dictated by simulcasting; primarily Monday thru Thursday afternoon when they can maximize their simulcast signal.  Where most tracks will race on a holiday, Monticello usually skips the day as their signal tends to be dropped in favor of another signal.  Currently, Monticello is running their annual marathon, racing eleven days straight where there is little simulcast competition, culminating with their Christmas Eve program, typically the only track racing in the United States on December 24. 

Monticello Raceway does continue to be a proving ground for the drivers of tomorrow.  Cat Manzi, George Brennan, Jason Bartlett, Jordan Stratton and others have honed their driving skills at Monticello before moving to the Yonkers/Meadowlands circuit and the national stage.  While Monticello is a "B' track, drivers like Todd Warren and Mike Mac Nell, Rick Magee have moved in from areas that are struggling to use Monticello as a stepping stone to the more lucrative circuit downstate.  During the summer months, horses and drivers tend to move between Yonkers, Monticello, Pocono Downs and Tioga Downs with an occasional horse shipping in from Saratoga and the Meadowlands.  Right now, with the upstate tracks closed for the season, there is an influx of horses from Saratoga and Batavia.

Anyway, here are my selections for Saturday afternoon at the Mighty 'M'.

1st Pace - $2,300; FM Non-Winners $200 per start last six or per start in 2009.
2 - BJ's Myrtle Mae  5-2
7 - Trusty Trish  9-2
5 - I'm All Sporty  7-2

2nd Trot - $2,600; Non-winners $225 per start last six or per start in 2009.
3 - Lady Marmalade  5-2
6 - The Prosecturor  4-1
2 - Thanksalot  7-2

3rd Pace - $2,600; $4000 Claiming - Finished 1st or 2nd in last three starts
2 - JK Hooty  9-2
5 - The Golden Horn  6-1
3 - Gold Fever  5-2
1 - Kosher Dyl Pickle  4-1

4th Trot - $2,600; Non-winners $225 per start last six or per start in 2009
6 - Super Cat Begonia  5-2
1 - Giant T  10-1
5 - I'm Dam Goog  3-1

5th Pace - $4,500; Winners over 5 but no more than 7 pari-mutuel races
6 - Big Heern  4-1
5 - Blueridge Hall  3-1
1 - Slick Eddie  10-1

6th Pace - $2,300; Non-winners $200 per start or per start in 2009
4 - Choose To Believe  5-2
6 - Osmosis  3-1
8 - Bell Valley Indian  4-1
7 - Cardinal  Bliss  5-1

7th Pace - $3,200; Non-winners $250 per start or per start in 2009
7 - Big John B  4-1
4 - Against The Best  3-1
1 - Snuff Box  6-1
2 - Gemini Jon  7-2

8th Pace - $4,500; Winners over 5 but no more than 7 pari-mutuel races
1 - Mcclelland  5-2
3 - Scottie C  4-1
5 - Or  7-2

9th Pace - $2,600; $4,000 Claiming - Finished 1st or 2nd in last three starts
5 - Call Me Biscuit  3-1
4 - Johnny Appleseed  7-2
7 - Maxie's David  12-1

10th Pace - $4,600; $10,000 Claiming
8 - Noble Wabbit  7-2
1 - Franco Catapult N  5-2
7 - Gallant Guy N  9-2
2 - Iam Billy The Man  3-1

11th Pace - $2,300; $4,000 Claiming - Not 1st or 2nd in last three starts
4 - Thunder Bay  5-2
2 - Icanbelikegordy  9-2
5 - Night Mystery  6-1

12th Pace - $2,300; FM Non-winners $200 per start last six or per start in 2009
4 - Seek The Dream  5-2
1 - Doyle's Pat  7-2
8 - Beaver Creek Suzie  3-1
3 - Time For Her Hero  4-1

13th Pace - $2,600; $4,000 Claiming - Finished 1st or 2nd in last three starts
5 - Ya Gotta Belief  6-1
3 - Skip  4-1
4 - Radical Reaction  3-1
1 - Mister Dale N  5-2