Saturday featured two divisions of the second leg of the Gary Kamal Memorial Pacing Series. It is the fifth installment of the series that honors the memory of the longtime horseman at Saratoga Casino Hotel and is for young pacers, five years old and younger. Both divisions went for a purse of $10,000 and it was Arch Hanover (Art Major) who cemented himself as the series’ one to beat on Saturday night. Arch Hanover brought a four-race win streak into the second leg but drew post seven in the eight-horse race. Leading driver Billy Dobson blasted Arch Hanover out early and the four year old wound up in the pocket. Rival Kiwi Tintin N (Frank Coppola Jr) came into the race with a three-for-three record since coming to the USA and the New Zealand invader was subsequently the 1-2 betting favorite despite starting from post eight. Kiwi Tintin N surged up first over and took the lead around the final turn but Arch Hanover came roaring out of the hole setting up a sensational stretch duel. Arch Hanover got up in the final stride to prevail in 1:53.4, matching his win time from leg one which served as a lifetime mark. Kiwi Tintin N will be a force in the final as he was a strong second while longshot Still To Come (Chris Long) earned the show spot.
The other division of the series’ second leg was won by SB Angelindisguise (Shawn Gray) who romped in his second local start, stopping the timer in 1:53.3 to punch his ticket to the final. The Joe De Carlo trainee spent his summer competing in the Midwest and headed east just two weeks ago to compete for new connections in the Kamal Memorial Pace. SB Angelindisguise bested Saulsbrook Deputy (Frank Coppola Jr) who was the race’s odds-on favorite on Saturday night en route to his first local score. Barbados (Billy Dobson) earned the show spot. The Gary Kamal Memorial Pacing Series Final will take place next Saturday night (Oct 27) and will be contested for a purse of $35,200.
Live racing continues at Saratoga on Sunday afternoon with a matinee beginning at 12:15pm.
Mike Sardella
Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino
