Trainer Paul Kelley unveiled a trio of young filly trotters on Thursday afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The top flight conditioner focuses mainly on young horses and thus hadn’t had any of his trainees compete at the Spa thus far this season before Thursday’s matinee card. Kelley’s Byway (Muscle Mass) got his day started win a victory when the three year old filly went coast to coast in 1:59.3 to break her maiden with Billy Dobson in the sulky. The meet’s leading driver also piloted Kelley’s Fast Love (Chapter Seven) to a wire-to-wire win when she cruised to a 1:59.4 score to break her maiden. Kelley looked for the Thursday hat trick when his The Russian Spy (Credit Winner) competed in a $7,500 non-winners of two race lifetime or $25,000 lifetime trot. The Kelley stable moved to three-for-three on the day when The Russian Spy jogged by open lengths in 1:57.3. Kelley has his group of young trotters prepped and ready for New York Sire Stakes season which has just gotten underway. The first NY Sire Stakes to be contested at Saratoga will be on Sunday afternoon (May 27th) when three year old pacing fillies are featured on the fifteen-race program.
Live racing continues at Saratoga on Friday night with a 6:45pm first post.
Mike Sardella
Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino
