Driver Billy Dobson has been battling with defending champion Jimmy Devaux at the top of the driver standings in the first few months of the 2022 campaign at Saratoga Casino Hotel with Stop Staring (So Surreal). Coming into Friday night second among local drivers in ‘22, the 38 year old reinsman swept both halves of the co-features.
With no Open on the card, two divisions of $10,500 pacing events for colts and geldings served as co-features and Dobson went coast-to-coast in both races. Stop Staring set a lifetime mark earlier in the season when he cruised to a 1:52.4 victory on the engine and while Friday’s victory wasn’t quite as fast as his previous score, the 1:53.2 final time certainly stood out as impressive.
The Amanda Kelley-trained Stop Staring had little difficulty prevailing on Friday and did so as his race’s 1-2 top choice in the wagering. Major Makover also went the distance with Dobson in tow as the Gary Levine trainee prevailed for the fourth time in his last five starts, scoring in a seasonal best 1:54.2 on Friday to complete the driving double for Dobson.
Live racing continues on Saturday evening with a first post time of 5PM.
Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York
Mike Sardella
Photo: Melissa Simser