With the Open Trot not carded this week at Saratoga Casino Hotel, the Monday feature was a $10,700 event for trotters. After a couple of scratches in the featured race, razor sharp Lazzaro (Billy Dobson) wound up as the public’s 1-5 betting favorite. The Monica Krist trainee came into the race on a four-race win streak and has been getting better every week. Staying at pretty much the same level as last week’s win, Lazzaro appeared poised to extend his streak on Monday but rival Knight Angel (Archangel) had something to say about it. Knight Angel, who is trained by Andy Byler, came in off an upset win last week (April 19) in which he went last to first in a nine-horse race. Parked the entire mile, Knight Angel was still only fifth turning for home but found another gear in the stretch before coming on to score while dismissed at odds of 9-1.

This week, Knight Angel drew post four and went off at 4-1 while tasked with taking on the red-hot Lazzaro. Longshot leader JNR Express (John Stark Jr) was carving out the fractions on the lead and Knight Angel again moved early resulting in him being two-wide for the majority of the mile. He did tuck in behind JNR Express briefly as they trotted towards three-quarters but was back out for the drive and beat Lazzaro to the punch. Knight Angel cruised by JNR Express to take the lead but the favorite had open road and had every chance to go by in the lane. The chase was futile and Knight Angel stopped the timer in 1:57.2 to complete back-to-back jacks. Lazzaro’s win streak came to an end though he did finish a strong second while JNR Express held on for third. Knight Angel paid $10.60 to win and led an exacta and triple that came back $23.40 and $69.50, respectively. Brian Cross drove Knight Angel to his pair of victories and is now two-for-two piloting the Byler-trained five year old this season.

Live racing continues on Tuesday afternoon at Saratoga with a Noon first post.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino

It isn’t often that a horse who wins a featured race in back-to-back weeks at Saratoga Casino Hotel winds up going off at 5-1 odds in his or her next try against a similar group. That was the case on Wednesday afternoon when Surreal Feeling (So Surreal) was somewhat ignored by the bettors in the $14,000 Fillies and Mares Open as she pursued a hat trick. Alek Chartrand picked up the catch-drive behind the Dale Lawton-trained mare whose early speed is so strong that she had no trouble making it to the top even from post position seven. Surreal Feeling paced the first half in 57.4 and was relatively untested through three quarters of 1:26.1. The six year old mare, who loves to win, did it again as she kicked away from her rivals in the stretch before stopping the timer in 1:55 for an open-length score. The victory was the fourth in a row for Surreal Feeling including three straight in the Spa feature for distaffers. Miss Irish Rose A (Larry Stalbaum) sat the pocket to the winner before finishing second while Thats Incredible (Brett Crawford) earned the show spot. Surreal Feeling paid $13.80 to win and led an exacta and triple that returned $147 and $880, respectively. Trainer Dale Lawton, of Verona, NY, co-owns Surreal Feeling with Chris Lawton, of Vernon, NY. The win in the feature was the first in an Open this season for reinsman Alek Chartrand who is in the midst of a terrific start to the 2021 campaign.

Live racing resumes on Monday afternoon at Saratoga with a first post set for Noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino

Macheasy A (Mach Three) has been making it look easy in his short time at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The Rob Harmon-trained pacer raced for the third time at the Spa on Tuesday and moved his record to three-for-three. And he isn’t just winning. The eight year old has won the Open Pace in all three of his local tries. Jay Randall sat behind the top-flight pacer once again on Tuesday as he started from post six in the six-horse feature. Macheasy A parlayed pocket trips to victory to record his first two Open wins but this week the method changed a bit. One of two even-money shots in the $14,000 feature, Macheasy A powered out to the early lead in a 27.3 first quarter. The Aussie invader got a bit of a breather while reaching the half in 57 seconds before clicking off three-quarters in 1:24.4. Co-favored Moonshine Kisses (Billy Dobson) reversed roles with Macheasy A after cutting the mile in last week’s Open and sat the two-hole to the razor sharp rival. He took his shot in the stretch but the chase was futile as Macheasy A recorded the rare Open hat trick, stopping the timer in 1:53.1 in his third consecutive Open score. Moonshine Kisses was the runner-up once again this week while American Zest A (Larry Stalbaum) finished third. The exacta paid $7.70 while the triple came back $17.60 with the favorites thriving in the feature. Randall has now won three of the last four features at Saratoga while sitting behind Harmon trainees as Shecouldbegood N prevailed in the top race for fillies and mares at the Spa last Wednesday.

Live racing continues on Wednesday afternoon with a first set for Noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino

Last season, in the abbreviated 2020 campaign, no horse won the Open Trot in successive tries at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Though the Open didn’t have nearly the amount of installments as in most years, to not have any horse win back-to-back tries showed the “up for grabs” nature of the group of top-flight trotters at the Spa. This season, a dominant force has emerged and on Monday afternoon that force won for the third consecutive week in the trotting feature. Gruden (Muscles Yankee) was assigned post eight in the $14,000 Open and leading driver Billy Dobson took the star trotter back at the start. Aided by the break of two rivals, Gruden advanced to sixth in the early going and with fast fractions being set in the feature things were shaping up very well for the race’s 2-1 second-choice in the wagering. Gruden picked up the cover of Stone In Love (Brian Cross) who was the runner-up to Gruden in last week’s Open. That tandem surged past the weary leader around the final turn but in the stretch Gruden proved to be too much for his rivals. The eight year old trotter stopped the timer in 1:57.3 to record his third consecutive win in the Open Trot becoming the first trotter in almost two years to achieve that feat. Stone In Love continues to be the bridesmaid as she has finished second in five of her last six starts while racing very well for trainer-driver Brian Cross. Longshot Lifetime Credit (John Stark Jr) rounded out the triple. The exacta and triple in the feature paid $41 and $326, respectively. Gruden’s owner, trainer and driver teamed up for a double for the third straight Monday afternoon as Lazzaro completed the double for owner Rick Dobson of Michigan, trainer Monica Krist and reinsman Billy Dobson. Lazzaro has now won four consecutive races and has the look of a future Open trotter in his own right.

Live racing continues on Tuesday afternoon at Saratoga with a matinee beginning at Noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino

For the second consecutive afternoon, trainer Rob Harmon won the feature at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Harmon, who races at numerous tracks throughout the northeast, has a high percentage in his starts at Saratoga over the course of the last few years. Most often, Harmon trainees that come to town do so to compete in features. With no Open on the card, the $10,000 Winners Over for fillies and mares served as the Wednesday feature.

Shecouldbegood N (Well Said) made her local debut on Wednesday for Harmon who teamed up with his regular Spa driver Jay Randall. The eight year old mare made a relatively easy lead in the Winners Over and reached the half in a comfortable 58.4 before being confronted by the race’s favorite Berazzled (Billy Dobson). Those two went toe-to-toe as the field bunched up past three quarters in 1:26.3. Shecouldbegood N put away the favorite around the final turn but next up was pocket-sitting Misty Memory N (Jimmy Devaux) who took her shot in the stretch.

The chase proved futile. Shecouldbegood N was the longest shot in the race when she stopped the timer in 1:55.4 to score in her local debut and give Harmon and Randall the feature winner at the Spa for the second straight day. Shecouldbegood N paid $15.20 to win and led an exacta with Misty Memory N second that paid $99. Thats Incredible (Shawn Gray) came on to finish third and complete a $126.50 triple in the five-horse feature.

Randall, who piloted the feature winner for the second consecutive day, also scored a victory on Wednesday behind Bontz N for trainer Gary Levine in what served as the “undercard” to the feature for fillies and mares. Bontz N, maybe the track’s top distaffer over the past few seasons, paced the fastest mile of the day as she stopped the clock in 1:55 in what was her third victory of the season.

Live racing resumes on Monday afternoon at Saratoga with a first post time set for Noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

Macheasy A (Mach Three) made it look easy winning for the second consecutive Tuesday afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The Rob Harmon trainee came to the Spa for the first time last week with two wins to his credit in 2021 but with no evidence that he could thrive in an Open Pace. The eight year old pacer proved otherwise last week when he parlayed a pocket ride to victory with Jay Randall at the controls. This Tuesday, Macheasy A once again got a two-hole trip behind a Jackie Greene-trained pacer. Moonshine Kisses (Billy Dobson) raced against top-flight competition at Yonkers this winter and spring and wound up going off at even money in the wagering in his return to the Spa. Moonshine Kisses cut the mile and set fast fractions on the engine on Tuesday before having Macheasy A cruise past him in the stretch. Macheasy A, who was the public’s 3-5 betting favorite, stopped the timer in a 2021 Saratoga-best 1:51.3 in his second straight win in the $11,000 Open for pacers with Randall in the sulky. The back-to-back Open champ is owned by the Harmon Racing Stable of Milford, PA. The exacta in the five-horse feature paid a chalky $3.90 while the triple with Olde Broadside (Alek Chartrand) third returned $12.60.

Live racing continues on Wednesday afternoon at Saratoga with a first post set for Noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Cheyanne Mandy

Gruden (Muscles Yankee) scored for the second consecutive week in the Open Trot at Saratoga Casino Hotel on Monday afternoon. Billy Dobson pilots the Monica Krist-trained trotter and wasted no time moving him to the front in this week’s $12,000 feature. Enjoying comfortable fractions on the engine, Gruden didn’t face much of a threat before powering away to win in 1:57.3 while the favorite at odds of 4-5. Stone In Love (Brian Cross), who finished third in last week’s Open, sat the pocket to the winner on Monday and finished second while local legend Cash Me Out (Phil Fluet) had to settle for the show spot. Gruden, who has been a picture of consistency at the Spa early on in the campaign, has now vaulted himself towards the top of the group of local trotters after his second consecutive score in the Open. For the second straight week, Dobson piloted Krist trainees Gruden and Lazzaro to Monday scores. Both trotters are owned by Rick Dobson of Howell, Michigan. The win completed a natural hat trick for Billy Dobson who piloted three straight winners on the card. Gruden took the bulk of the public’s money in the wagering this week despite the fact that Cash Me Out was back in town to compete. The exacta in the six-horse feature paid $9.70 and the triple with Cash Me Out third came back $19.80.

Live racing continues on Tuesday afternoon starting at Noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Cheyanne Mandy

Owners Chris and Dale Lawton have thrived in the ladies’ features in the early stages of the 2021 racing season at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The Central New York-based ownership team owns both top-flight mares Racine Bell and Surreal Feeling. Over the course of the last three Wednesdays at the Spa, those distaffers have recorded victories in a trio of features. Racine Bell, who is trained by Dave Dewhurst, won the local Open on March 17 when she scored with Brian Cross in the sulky. Surreal Feeling (So Surreal) has always enjoyed success at the Spa and the Dale Lawton trainee returned to town last Wednesday (March 31th) to compete in the $10,000 Winners Over for pacing mares. She had little difficultly going wire-to-wire in that one with Jimmy Devaux at the controls. This week, the six year old was assigned post six in the six-horse feature for the ladies but wasted no time moving out to the early lead. Surreal Feeling was hounded throughout the entire second-half of the mile by rival Berazzled (Billy Dobson) who was making her debut in the local Open but held strong in the stretch to prevail in a win photo scoring in 1:54 in the feature. For Surreal Feeling, it was victory number 24 in 71 lifetime starts. Berazzled was a strong second while Thats Incredible (Jay Randall) finished third. The exacta and triple in the feature paid $8.90 and $27.20, respectively, with the 1-5 favorite on top. The win in the feature was one of three on the card for Jimmy Devaux who currently sits third in the driver standings for the ’21 season.
Live racing resumes on Monday afternoon at Saratoga with a first post time of Noon.

Mike Sardella
Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino

Out of town trainer Rob Harmon only brings a handful of horses to Saratoga Casino Hotel to compete. Usually when he does, it is Open participants that come to town for the veteran conditioner. On Tuesday, Harmon’s Macheasy A (Mach Three) made his Spa debut and drew post four in the $11,000 Open for pacers. Jay Randall catch-drove Macheasy A who went off at odds of 4-1 in his local debut. The invader got a pocket trip behind last week’s Open winner Artful Way (Billy Dobson) and rode that one’s coattails in a first half paced in 56.3. Artful Way worked hard in the early stages of the feature but did get to back things down a bit in the middle half before being met with the challenge of Macheasy A around the final turn. When Randall asked Macheasy A for his best, the eight year old pacer made it look easy and powered past the leader to assume command and draw off before recording his first Spa victory in a mile clocked in 1:53.1. Macheasy A paid $10.80 to win and led an exacta with Artful Way second that came back $34.60. Lord Willoughby A (Larry Stalbaum) finished third and rounded out a $153 triple. Macheasy A, who is owned by the Harmon Racing Stable of Milford, PA is the second Open winner of the young season at the Spa for trainer Rob Harmon whose Robyn Camden prevailed during opening week of the 2021 campaign in the Fillies and Mares Open. Trainer Gary Levine’s stable starred on Tuesday afternoon as well as the meet’s leading conditioner added three wins to his tally.

Live racing continues on Wednesday at Saratoga with a matinee kicking off at Noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino

The Monica Krist stable had two horses in on trotting day at Saratoga Casino Hotel on Monday afternoon. Gruden led the charge from her stable and was the public’s 8-5 betting favorite in the matinee’s $12,000 Open Trot. Gruden got the pocket trip behind Gigfy (Alek Chartrand), a razor-sharp trotter who was aggressive in the feature and did prove up to the task. Gigfy cut the mile but was hounded throughout, parking out a rival in a first half that was clocked in 56.2. All the while, Gruden was in behind the dueling leaders and when he got clearance after three quarters in 1:26, popped the pocket and cruised past Gigfy before drawing away in the stretch. Billy Dobson piloted Gruden to the better than four-length victory in the feature. Gruden paid $5.40 to win and led an exacta with Gigfy second that came back $26. Stone In Love (Brian Cross) made a break behind the gate but rallied late to finish third and complete a $69.50 triple. The win for Gruden was one of two on the day for his connections. Owner Rick Dobson, of Howell, MI, had a double as his Lazzaro (Explosive Matter) was a repeat winner earlier in the card in a $6,600 trotting event for Krist with leading driver Billy Dobson in the sulky.

Live racing continues on Tuesday afternoon at Saratoga with a first post time set for Noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino