Trainer Paul Zabielski continued what has been a huge year for him at Saratoga Casino Hotel when on Wednesday night he recorded another training double. Striking Star (Crazed) is a recent addition to the Zabielski stable after being acquired via purchase by owner Kevin Quinn earlier in the month. After recording back-to-back wins after his acquisition, Striking Star went out of town but failed to factor in a start at Yonkers. The four year old returned to the Spa on Wednesday and was the odds-on choice in the wagering in his $7,250 trotting event. Driver Jimmy Devaux sat behind the Zabielski trainee as he went coast-to-coast with relative ease, stopping the timer in 1:58.4 to move his record to three-for-three in local starts for his new barn.
Zabielski, Quinn and Devaux teamed up later on the card for another victory with razor sharp New Zealand invader The Great Buzz N (Auckland Reactor N). Another recent acquisition for Zabielski, The Great Buzz N came into Wednesday’s try in a $6,000 pacing event as a winner of three races in his four local starts. Coming off last week’s 1:53.1 career-best clocking, The Great Buzz N was once again heavily backed by the public to the tune of 1-5 odds as he recorded his fourth local victory, making good in 1:53.3.
Paul wasn’t the only Zabielski to score a training double on Wednesday. His daughter Lisa also had a pair of winners on the card. Her Aerial Flight (Muscle Mass) toughed out a first-over journey to prevail in 1:58.3 in the evening’s $9,630 feature for New York sired trotters. Jay Randall piloted Aerial Flight to the victory which was the second of the night for Lisa Zabielski whose Keystone Magneto (Roll With Joe) broke his maiden in his debut out of his new barn, going wire-to-wire in 1:54.4. Devaux, who piloted Keystone Magneto to victory, drove four winners on the night including three Zabielski trainees.
Live racing resumes on Friday evening with a 7:05pm first post.
Mike Sardella
Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino
