Special Graduate schools feature field

Refusing to again be the bridesmaid, Special Graduate led for the entirety of the Monticello Raceway harness racing feature pace on Tuesday to break a four-race run of finishing second.

Pilot Jim Taggart Jr. left hard with the four-year-old mare from post four and ascended to the top spot before the field of six turned for the first time. Special Graduate finished the first quarter mile in :29, half in :58.3, and three-quarters in 1:27.2 without seeing an opponent.

Pocket-sitter and favourite Too Much Sun (Michael Merton) gained little in the closing stages as Special Graduate proved herself the best in a 1:56 victory. Too Much Sun was a length and a half behind in second, and Moonlightandroses (Cory Stratton) went from last to third. The win price was $5.80.

SPECIAL GRADUATE REPLAY

Special Graduate is now 11-for-40 lifetime, and the daughter of Art Major has made more than $55,000 for owners Robert Sholes, Edward Davis, and David Dziengiel, who all reside in Bloomingburg. Dziengiel trains for the group.

A different driver and trainer won every race on the eight-dash program.

Also on the card, Aggressive, a 10-year-old altered son of Kadabra, stopped a 35-race losing streak one day before its two-year anniversary. It began on Jun. 2, 2019 with a 12-and-a-half length loss at Saratoga. Aggressive, in line with his name, went to the front on Tuesday for the second time since his most recent win on May 23, 2019. He set fractions of :29.4, 1:00.1, and 1:30.3 for Cory Stratton and held off two late attackers to win in 2:02.3. Harvey Stein has trained the horse for Stein Racing Stable Inc. of Moreau since November 2018.

Monticello Raceway returns on Wednesday, Jun. 2 for a nine-race card that features an Open and a North American Amateur Driving Association tilt. That program kicks off at 12:10 p.m. EDT.

For full race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink