The Thursday feature at Saratoga Casino Hotel was comprised of five pacing mares in the Open on what was a pleasant spring afternoon in the Spa City. January A (Cammibest) hadn’t made much of an impression locally in her first three local starts but was the public’s 6-5 betting favorite in Thursday’s Fillies and Mares Open. Starting from post three in the five-horse feature, the Patti Harmon-trained January A sat patiently in the early going and wound up first over approaching the half mile pole. Grinding her way alongside the leader at the three quarter pole, January A wound up hitting the wire first in 1:55 with Jay Randall in the sulky. Happy Heart (Mark Beckwith) came on to finish second while Betabcool N (Bruce Aldrich Jr) earned the show spot in the $15,000 feature for distaffers. The win time for January A matched her lifetime mark which was set by the Australian invader at Yonkers earlier this year. The exacta with the favorite on top returned $16.80.
Live racing resumes on Saturday evening with a first post time set for 6:45pm.
Mike Sardella
Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino
