Another four for Merton

A day after reaching 4,000 wins, harness racing driver Michael Merton began his chase to 5,000 as he bagged a grand slam at Monticello Raceway on Monday.

Merton placed Too Much Sun ($4.40) two-wide from the quarter to the finish in the second race and allowed the mare to grind out a 1:56.4 score. Greg Decker trains the six-year-old daughter of Betterthancheddar that has won 16 times in 130 appearances and brought in $94,845. Michael Mulligan of Liberty is the owner.

The Monticello-based reinsman doubled in the fourth as he swung the Carl Tirella-trained Sandy Win ($7.90) three-wide around cover at three-quarters, and she battled to a 1:57.4 win. Sandy Win is a nine-year-old Sand Shooter mare with 29 wins and $292,263 in earnings across 187 starts. Paul Lang, a Paramus resident, owns her.

Special Achiever ($2.60) went wire-to-wire in the seventh for Merton with a 1:56 mile time. The four-year-old American Ideal mare is eight-for-53 lifetime with $71,809 in bankroll. Peter Pellegrino trains her for Melvyn Colby of Great Neck.

Merton then closed the day’s proceedings with a victory in the ninth behind Dreamfair Helena ($4.80), who won in 1:58.1. Bo Sowers trains the five-year-old Bettors Delight mare for Stephen Morton of Windsor and Paul Weeks of Charlottetown. Dreamfair Helena has 10 wins and earnings of $49,844 in 79 lifetime outings.

The Fillies and Mares Open feature eluded Merton, who was not listed on any entrant. Another Sowers trainee, Moonlightandroses, pulled past rivals late and emerged a winner despite a sizable class hike.

Stratton occupied the pocket early with Moonlightandroses but was shuffled to third as Special Graduate (Jim Taggart Jr.) brushed to the front at the quarter mile pole in :27.4 . Lacarmeliliana (John De Simon Jr.) made a first-up move nearing the half in :58, prompting Stratton to slide his charge out onto cover.

Special Graduate and Lacarmeliliana warred through three-quarters in 1:27.2 and turned for the finish on level terms. Moonlightandroses fanned three-wide on the turn and rolled past her two adversaries to claim a 1:56.4 victory. Lacarmeliliana held second over Special Graduate, who finished third.

MOONLIGHTANDROSES REPLAY

Moonlightandroses, an $8.70 winner, has made $134,985 lifetime and won eighteen of her 53 starts. Her prior start came in a $5,700 mid-level Monticello conditioned event. Mo Coo Inc. of Merrick owns the five-year-old daughter of Deuce Seelster. Sowers invited the Walker family, who are from Illinois, to join Stratton and he in the winner’s circle.

Monticello Raceway will resume racing on Tuesday, Jul. 6 at 12:10 p.m. EDT. That program will include another Open.

For full race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink