Tuesday’s installment of the Fillies and Mares Open at Saratoga Casino Hotel went the way that so many have this season. Surreal Feeling (So Surreal) has been the dominant force in the ladies’ feature all year long and the top-flight six year old mare was back at it in Tuesday’s feature. With Alek Chartrand at the controls, Surreal Feeling powered out to the early lead in the $15,000 Open and never looked back. The Dale Lawton-trained distaffer went the distance to prevail in 1:54.3 to record her twelfth win of the season and her ninth in the local Open this season. Surreal Feeling, who hasn’t finished worse than second in the Open since mid-summer, held off a late bid from pocket-sitting Birch Island Betty (Billy Dobson) who wound up finishing second. It was the fifth consecutive week in which that she hit the board in the local Open. Miss Irish Rose A earned the show spot in the feature. Surreal Feeling, who paid $3.20 to win, led an exacta and triple that came back $13 and $56.50, respectively. The winner is owned by her trainer Dale Lawton as well as Chris Lawton. She is the clear favorite to be named Filly and Mare Pacer of the Year at the Spa as the awards will be given out this year after there was no ceremony last season.
Live racing resumes on Sunday afternoon at Saratoga with a first post time of noon.
Mike Sardella
Photo: Melissa Simser
