There is a new track record for two year old pacing fillies at Saratoga Casino Hotel after Linda Toscano’s Heart Of Mine (Roll With Joe-Acquavella-Western Ideal) paced to a 1:53.2 victory in her $70,300 division of the New York Sire Stakes on Monday afternoon. In a race with two fillies that were sub 2-1 odds in the wagering sitting one-two throughout three quarters of the mile, Heart Of Mine powered up and past those rivals around the final turn before pacing away to score impressively and break her maiden. Heart Of Mine was a distant second in her previous start to stalwart Test Of Faith but sprung the mild upset on Monday after her one big brush was plenty to best her rivals. Jim Marohn Jr. piloted the now record-setting freshman filly, who is owned by Fred Wallace, Bay’s Stb, Radio Rcg Stb and Camelot Stb., to her first career win in on an afternoon that was dominated by the 38 year old reinsman. Marohn also sat behind the winner of the other $70,300 Sire Stakes event as Test Of Faith (Art Major-Cannae Cammie-Cam’s Card Shark) went coast-to-coast as her race’s heavy favorite en route to her fourth win in five career stakes tries. Brett Pelling trains Test Of Faith who scored decisively on Monday, drawing away to prevail in 1:53.4 and give Marohn a sweep of the co-featured Sire Stakes races and three winners on the card. Test Of Faith, who was backed to odds of 1-9, moved her career earnings to over the $145,000 mark in just five starts for owners Melvin Segal, Eddie Gran and Kentuckiana Racing Stable. The previous track record for two year old pacing fillies belonged to So Awesome who scored a stakes victory in 1:53.3 in 2018 with Tim Tetrick in the bike.
Live racing continues at Saratoga on Tuesday afternoon starting at 12 Noon and then takes place on Wednesday evening when NY Sire Stakes action is once again featured. First post on Wednesday is set for 7:15pm.
Mike Sardella
Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino