Royal Mission, a two year old filly by Chapter Seven out of the RC Royalty mare Swinging Royalty, scored her first career victory on Friday evening at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The Marcus Melander-trained freshman got perfect Brett Beckwith piloting in the $148,500 featured New York Sire Stakes race on Friday as the meet’s leading driver powered the 6-5 second-choice in the wagering up to take over the lead approaching the half mile pole. Royal Mission clicked off a half in 59.2 while the favored My Debt Collecter and reinsman Tyler Buter got going from the “back of the pack” in the four-horse feature for freshman fillies. Royal Mission rattled off three quarters in 1:28.1 and was met with the challenge of the favorite in the final furlong before holding the 1-2 public choice off en route to securing her first career victory. Royal Mission stopped the timer in 1:58.1 for a victory which more than doubled the lifetime earnings of the Melander trainee who now has four starts under her belt. Royal Mission is owned by Jeffrey Snyder of New York, NY. My Debt Collecter finished second while Calculus Risk (Wally Hennessey) earned the show spot in the rich race for the freshmen. Beckwith piloted four winners on the Friday card to extend his lead in the local driver standings.

Live racing continues on Saturday evening at Saratoga with live racing kicking off at 5pm.

Mike Sardella recap

Circuit Party is in the midst of a career year and on Friday night, the five year old extended his win streak to five by prevailing in the Open Trot. Wally Hennessey drove for trainer Dan Cappello Jr. as Circuit Party drew post eight for Friday’s try against the track’s top trotters. Hennessey was aggressive pulling the son of Donato Hanover approaching the opening quarter and raced almost the entire mile on the outside.

Coming in on a four-race win streak and as a winner of the Open for the first time last week (Aug 18), Circuit Party put the swoop to the group in the $18,200 feature getting the better of rival Duckdodgendive (Brett Beckwith) in the stretch.

In victory, Circuit Party became just the third high-stepper to win the Open in back-to-back tries in 2023. Duckdodgendive, who won his first career Open last month, was a strong second on Friday while Special Prosecutor (Jimmy Devaux) earned the show spot to hit the board for the third consecutive start in the local Open. Circuit Party paid $8.30 to win in a race that was evenly bet.

The exacta and triple in the feature returned $42 and $170, respectively. The win for Circuit Party was his tenth of the season in twenty three starts. With the earnings from his Friday score, the rising trotting star boosted his career earnings to over the $100,000 mark for owner Lisa Unltd LLC of Schenectady, NY who recently acquired the up-and-coming trotter.

Live racing continues on Saturday evening at Saratoga with a first post time set for 6:45pm.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Jessica Hallett

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

Joxter (Chapter Seven) toughed out a first-over victory in the Friday feature at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Dan Daley trains and drives the five year old who is no stranger to the Open Trot and after finishing second in the local trotting feature a few weeks back got the job done on Friday. Joxter was co-favored along with Special Prosecutor (Jimmy Devaux) as those two 2-1 shots slugged it out for a half mile before the former got the better of his rival in the stretch.

Joxter stopped the timer in 1:56.2 in what was his third win of the season but just the first in a handful of starts in the local Open. Special Prosecutor wound up as the runner-up for the second straight week in the feature while Malibu Kid (Matt Athearn) earned the show spot. Joxter paid $6.20 to win and led an exacta and triple that returned $19.20 and $88.50, respectively. The Open winner is owned by Ann-Mari Daley of Lakeworth, FL.

Live racing continues on Saturday evening at Saratoga with first post time set for 6:45pm.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Jessica Hallett

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

Hall of Famer Brian Sears came to town and dominated the action in the New York Sire Stakes on Friday night at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The superstar driver piloted the winners of both $74,000+ Sire Stakes races for two year old colt and gelding trotters guiding freshmen Situationship and Wild Ticket to stakes scores. Situationship won for the first time in his three career starts by posting a dazzling 1:56.2 mile, one of the fastest in track history for a two year old trotter.

Brian Sears guided Situationship to his maiden win for trainer Ake Svanstedt and owners Knutsson Trotting Inc, Tomas Andersson and Little E LLC in his $75,900 division of the New York Sire Stakes. The son of Chapter Seven out of the Cantab Hall mare Meegan Hall, Situationship was the 8-5 second-choice in the wagering in his maiden victory on Friday.

Sears wasted little time winning his second race on the evening as he completed the sweep of the early double guiding Wild Ticket to his second consecutive New York Sire Stakes score. Wild Ticket was the 1-5 favorite in his $74,500 stakes event as he went wire-to-wire with Sears sitting behind. Marcus Melander trains the freshman for the ownership team of Amg Stb Inc, Kjellgren, Mantrop LLC and Heights Stb.

Wild Ticket powered away from his rivals late in the mile to prevail by a resounding eight and three-quarters lengths. Sears won his third race of the evening when he piloted Inflation (Chapter Seven-Fraulein Blucher-Cantab Hall) to victory in a $20,000 Excelsior race for trainer Lucas Wallin.

Live racing continues on Saturday evening at Saratoga with a first post time set for 6:45pm.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Cheyenne Mandy

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

Trainer Gary Levine enjoyed a big month of September at Saratoga Casino Hotel and on Friday night, the veteran conditioner wrapped up the month in style. The 40 year old former leading trainer at the Spa scoring a training double on the Friday card as his Somiki (Always B Miki) made his local debut a winning one in a dominant effort to kick off the evening’s program. Somiki was the public’s 1-5 top choice in the wagering in the $8,700 Friday opener and raced just like an overwhelming favorite should. Hall of Famer Wally Hennessey brushed Somiki to the lead heading to the quarter pole and once he got there, it was over.

The three year old opened up daylight approaching three quarters before reporting home an eleven length winner in 1:55.4. Late in the card, Skyline Blue Chip (American Ideal) was making just his second start out of the Levine stable when he, like his stablemate earlier in the evening, was backed to the tune of 1-5 in the betting. Despite being the big favorite, the three year old Skyline Blue Chip sat patiently in the early stages of his try in a $9,500 race for young pacers.

Reinsman Billy Dobson pulled the right line and the sophomore pacer charged up and past the leaders before stopping the timer in a career-best 1:55.2 to complete a training double for Levine who has vaulted into third in the trainer standings behind what was a monster month of September for him at the Spa.

Live racing continues on Saturday at Saratoga with a first post time set for 5pm. There is a Pick Six Jackpot that sits at $14,269. The Pick Six begins in Saturday’s sixth race.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Cheyanne Mandy

It has been a terrific late summer surge for Quadratic Blue Chip (Muscle Hill) at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The Lisa Zabielski-trained trotter, who has previously dabbled in the local Open here and there, won the Friday feature for the first time last week (August 26). Zabielski and driver Chris Long have been a potent pairing this summer at the Spa and after their Quadratic Bluechip scored his first Open win last week, he drew post seven on Friday in his effort to repeat in the $16,000 feature.

The race’s favorite Reign Of Honor (Brett Beckwith) made a rare appearance on the front-end and despite working relatively hard to get to the top clicked off a half in a reasonable 57.2. As he and pocket-sitting ER Sophia (Jimmy Devaux) squared off in the stretch, the rail opened up for Quadratic Bluechip who was dismissed at odds of 25-1. The biggest longshot in the feature charged hard in the passing lane and won a photo with Reign Of Honor in a mile clocked in 1:56.3.

ER Sophia finished third but was disqualified for causing interference to a rival around the final turn which resulted in Remember Titans (Jay Randall) being placed third. Quadratic Blue Chip, who is co-owned by Mark Salerno and trainer Lisa Zabielski, paid $52 to win as a rare back-to-back Open Trot winner and led an exacta and triple that returned $316.50 and $809, respectively.

Zabielski and Long doubled on the card as they teamed up for a victory with young trotter Sevenare who like stablemate Quadratic Bluechip recorded a victory for the second consecutive week.

Live racing continues on Saturday evening at Saratoga with a 6:45pm first post.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser

Driver Chris Long has been on a tear this summer at Saratoga Casino Hotel and on Friday night, the veteran reinsman hit a grand slam. Among the quartet of victors on the card for Long was Quadratic Bluechip (Muscle Hill) who prevailed in the $16,000 Open Trot. The Lisa Zabielski-trained Quadratic Bluechip, who finished third in last week’s installment of the Open, drew post three on Friday night and was dismissed at odds of 10-1.

Long powered the six year old out a bit in the early going and situated him in the pocket behind veteran Cash Me Out (Phil Fluet). The fractions for Cash Me Out were extremely soft as the millionaire cruised unopposed through a first half in 59 seconds. The race’s favorite Reign Of Honor (Brett Beckwith) came first-over on the leader and as those two went toe-to-toe in the stretch, Quadratic Bluechip found late life in the passing lane before coming on to score in 1:56.4 for his first Open win of the season.

Reign Of Honor came up second best while Cash Me Out held on to finish third. Quadratic Bluechip paid $22 to win and led an exacta and triple that came back $83.50 and $271.50, respectively. Zabielski’s Sevenare scored in the evening’s nightcap with Long at the controls to complete a training double for her. Long also piloted a pair of Andy Byler-trained trotters to wins as Katkin Morgan and Mark Of A Beast prevailed via first-over journeys on the Friday card. Byler scored three wins, in total, on the card.

Live racing continues on Saturday evening in Saratoga with a first post time of 6:45pm. All eyes will be on race 1 when the Pick Five begins as the carryover in the Pick Five pool will be $11,243.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Cheyanne Mandy

ER Sophia (Swan For All) won the Open Trot at Saratoga Casino Hotel in July for the first time in her career. The John Mongeon trainee went coast-to-coast with leading driver Jimmy Devaux at the controls to record that victory. Following a third place finish in last week’s trotting feature, it was back into the Open again on Friday night for ER Sophia who drew post seven in the eight-horse feature and thus was the biggest longshot in the race while dismissed at odds of 21-1. Devaux sat patiently in the early going with the mare who was looking to beat the boys in the feature once again.

ER Sophia made her move at the three-quarter pole before swinging wide around the final turn. The six year old came charging home and wound up in a photo finish with millionaire trotter Cash Me Out (Phil Fluet). ER Sophia emerged victorious and paid $45.60 to upset in the $17,150 Open. Cash Me Out was the runner-up while Quadratic Bluechip (Chris Long) earned the show spot.

ER Sophia’s victory was her seventh on the season and second in Open company for owners Brenda Messenger and Scott Woogen. She led an exacta and triple in the feature that returned $301.50 and $2,378, respectively. Devaux piloted four winners on the Friday card.

Live racing continues on Saturday evening at Saratoga with a first post set for 6:45pm.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser

Angel Nation (Archangel) was tasked with besting a pair of trotters who have been on a tear of late. The Melissa Beckwith-trained Angel Nation started from post four in Friday’s Open Trot at Saratoga Casino Hotel and was squaring off against Reign Of Honor (Shawn Gray), who has won six of his previous eight starts, and Joxter (Dan Daley) who had hit the board in all ten starts to begin his season, usually while competing in the Open either locally or at Vernon Downs.

Angel Nation got the jump on his major dangers when he left and cut the mile in the Friday feature although Joxter, the race’s favorite at odds of 3-2, marched up on the outside to race parked out from just after the start. The Beckwith trainee went through a first half in an honest 56.2 with Joxter to his flank. All the while, the longest shot on the board Oh So Pine (Larry Stalbaum) sat the pocket behind Angel Nation and became a factor late in the mile.

Reign Of Honor got away last and although he shook free around the final turn, his move proved to be too little too late. Angel Nation drew clear in the stretch and opened up by a couple lengths but made a break under the shadow of the wire. The five year old survived an inquiry and stood as the Open’s winner paying $8.20 in a mild upset. Joxter toughed it out to finish second while Oh So Pine earned the show spot. Reign Of Honor had to settle for fourth.

The exacta and triple in the feature returned $25.80 and $168, respectively. Angel Nation is owned by Bill Hartt of Carmel, ME in partnership with trainer Melissa Beckwith. Brett Beckwith piloted the winner in the $16,000 Open for trotters.

Live racing continues on Saturday evening in Saratoga Springs with a first post time set for 6:45pm.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Cheyanne Mandy

Rocket Mac, trained by Amanda Kelley and driven by Leon Bailey, won Friday night’s 7th race in 1:54.1.

Live racing will continue at Saratoga Casino Hotel, Saratoga Springs, NY.

Melissa Simser

Photo: Cheyanne Mandy