If Monday’s first leg was any indication of what’s to come, the first installment of the Dr. Richard Frank Memorial Pacing Series could set up to be a classic. A pair of three year old pacers came into the series’ first leg with a combined thirteen wins already on the young season and each member of that pair added another win to his tally on Monday.
Primo Uomo (Heston Blue Chip) has enjoyed a dominant 2023 campaign thus far and the Dave Dewhurst-trained pacer moved his record to seven for nine this season behind a front-running score in the $12,500 first leg of the Dr. Richard Frank Memorial Pace. The sophomore was piloted to a 1:55.2 victory by Jimmy Devaux to hold off his race’s major danger William Hanover (Leon Bailey) and record the win.
The Melissa Beckwith-trained Boozer (Huntsville) moved his record to eight for ten on the year with a wire-to-wire win of his own. In recording his leg one victory, Boozer held off pocket-sitting Excursion (Billy Dobson) who began his season with a four-for-four record himself before coming up second-best on Monday. Boozer was leg one’s fastest winner as he stopped the timer in a lifetime best 1:54.4 for driver Brett Beckwith.
The other Dr. Richard Frank Memorial Pacing Series leg one winner was Astaires Arsenal (In The Arsenal) who has also had the winning way this year and scored in 1:56.1 on Monday for his fourth victory in six seasonal starts. The three year old was piloted to the win by Billy Dobson for trainer Misty Carey.
Live racing continues on Tuesday afternoon at Saratoga with a matinee beginning at noon.
Mike Sardella
Photo: Jessica Hallett
Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York
