Deetzy (Jereme’s Jet) achieved a feat that not many horses in the Saturday feature have been able to in the last few years at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The Jim Nickerson trainee beat two-time Pacer of the Year and defending Horse of the Year Artful Way and did so after Artful Way cut the mile in the $14,500 Open Pace. Deetzy left alertly and yielded to the race’s odds-on favorite to get the pocket ride. Artful Way made a pretty easy lead in the Saturday feature and went to the half in a comfortable, for him, 56.3. Deetzy, all the while, patrolled the pocket before swinging out at the head of the stretch. He then made something that has rarely, if ever, been done look easy. Deetzy stopped the timer in 1:52.2 to pull off the mild upset at odds of 9-1 and in the process, defeated Artful Way who almost never loses when he’s on the front end. Ideal Rocky (Billy Dobson) closed sharply to be second in the Open while Artful Way (Frank Coppola Jr) had to settle for third. Jimmy Devaux piloted Deetzy to his third victory of the year in the local Open and fifth win on the season overall. In the upset, Deetzy paid $20.20 to win and led an exacta and triple that returned $143 and $509, respectively.
Live racing has been canceled for Sunday July 1stdue to extreme heat and heat index forecasts. Racing will resume on Tuesday evening with our Independence Day spectacular with a 5:00pm first post and fireworks at the conclusion of the race card. There will be food trucks, live music, contests and giveaways as well as a $7,777 guarantee in the pick five pool. Tuesday is a night you will want to be a part of at Saratoga Casino Hotel.
Mike Sardella
Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino
