Sunday marked the start of the 2020 racing season at Saratoga Casino Hotel. A ten-race program was highlighted by the $15,000 Open Trot on a day that included a long sleeve t-shirt giveaway at the track. The Open featured a field of just five participants, one of which was the track’s defending Horse of the Year Cash Me Out. The millionaire trotter was assigned post position five for his first start of the season and wound up making a break after suffering broken equipment. Invader Shorething Fashion (Andover Hall) drew the rail for the season’s first feature and though the Mike Eaton trainee got away third in the early going, the six year old came storming home in the stretch to record the win in 1:58.1 on a pleasant February afternoon in the Spa City. Mister Muscle (Mark Beckwith) carved out reasonable fractions on the lead in the Open but wound up having to settle for second-best while Mr Cool Seaeyre N (Larry Stalbaum) finished third. Shorething Fashion’s driver Jay Randall piloted a pair of winners on opening day as he sat behind Certify (Credit Winner) who was the winner of the first race of the 2020 racing season. In the Open, Shorething Fashion paid $8.60 to win and led an exacta with Mister Muscle that returned $31.20.
Live racing continues on Monday with a President’s Day matinee that is set to kick off at 12 Noon. The afternoon will feature several $1 food and beverage specials as well as a $5,000 guarantee in the Pick Five pool. The Pick Five begins in the matinee’s first race.
Mike Sardella
Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino
