Mr Mclaren N (Mach Three) won for the fourth time in the Open Pace this season when on Saturday evening at Saratoga Casino Hotel, Larry Stalbaum moved the eight year old to the early lead and they never looked back. Mc Mclaren N won three Opens in the springtime before taking a bit of time off leading up to a start in last week’s featured race for pacers. Following a non-productive return try, Mc Mclaren N proved ready to roll in this week’s installment of the $16,000 Open and powered out to front-end. Stalbaum owns and trains the New Zealand invader who got a first quarter in 27.2 before slowing things down to reach the half in a leisurely 57.4. Talking Tom (Leon Bailey) sat the pocket to the leader while Soho Skyfall A (Jay Randall) followed that pair along the pylon path throughout the mile. The outer flow didn’t thrive and the top three finished just as they started with Mr Mclaren N prevailing in 1:54 over pocket-sitting Talking Tom and Soho Skyfall A. Mr Mclaren N paid $11.00 to win in the mild upset and led an exacta and triple that returned $39.20 and $103, respectively. Mr Mclaren N joins The Good Doctor and Lanjo Lee as four-time Open Pace winners at the Spa this season.
Live racing resumes on Monday afternoon at Saratoga with a 12pm first post. There will be a Pick Five carryover of $2,136 in the matinee’s first race.
