Olde Broadside came into Monday afternoon’s co-feature at Saratoga Casino Hotel on top of his game. After recording a win three weeks back, the Linda Flynn trainee stepped up in company and has been competing in the class that served as the feature for pacers on Monday’s matinee at the Spa. Following consecutive third-place finishes while a longshot, Olde Broadside was dismissed at odds of 12-1 when faced with taking on his race’s big favorite, former Horse of the Year Panocchio. The 3-5 shot Panocchio (Brian Cross) had the front end and set honest fractions on the lead before being confronted by Olde Broadside at the three quarter pole. The final quarters are the strong suit for the six year old Flynn trainee but Panocchio had backclass on his side as the two squared off in the stretch in the $6,350 pacing event. Olde Broadside proved to be too much for the classy veteran and came on to score in a seasonal best 1:53.1 to spring the upset paying $26.60 to win in a mile highlighted by his 27.3 final panel. Panocchio finished second to complete a $72.50 exacta while No Ordinary Man (Phil Fluet) earned the show spot to round out a $265.50 triple. Alek Chartrand piloted Olde Broadside to his upset score.

The trotting version of the co-features went the way of Gruden (Muscles Yankee). A winner of the Open Trot two weeks ago, Gruden joined the claiming ranks in his last start and scored on the engine on Monday in 1:57 with leading driver Billy Dobson in the sulky for trainer Monica Krist. Gruden, who missed all of 2019, has now recorded three wins and a second-place finish in his last four starts. Gruden earned the winner’s share of the $6,350 purse on Monday and now has 21 wins in 49 lifetime races.

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

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino

For the second consecutive week, Birch Island Betty (Big Jim) swooped the group to win the Fillies and Mares Open at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The Eve Bergeron trainee recorded her first ever victory in the feature for distaffers last week when she tipped three-wide before charging home to score in 1:53.1. On Tuesday, the five year old was assigned the outside post in the $8,500 Open and driver Mitch Cushing settled in last in the seven-horse feature. The early speed was sizzling as the favorite in the race went to the quarter in a demanding 26.2 before reaching the half in 55.2 At that point, the backfield was in motion as last week’s Open runner-up Come Get The Cash (John Macdonald) and Birch Island Betty joined the outer flow and began to thrive after three quarters went in 1:24.2. Come Get The Cash struck the lead in the stretch but Birch Island Betty just kept surging before coming on to prevail in the photo for win in a mile clocked in 1:54.1. Birch Island Betty, who is owned by Dany Grenier of Quebec, Canada, recorded her fifth victory in fifteen seasonal tries, paying $11.80 to win. Come Get The Cash was the runner-up for the second consecutive week in the Open and completed an exacta that returned $58.50. Bontz N (Billy Dobson) rounded out the exact same triple as in last week’s feature. The triple returned a solid $163. Come Get The Cash came up just short of what would have resulted in a grand slam for her connections as trainer Brandy Wine and driver John Macdonald teamed up for three wins on the Tuesday card.

Live racing resumes next Monday (Sept 28) at Saratoga with a first post time set for Noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Cheyanne Mandy

JNR Express & John Stark Jr. at Saratoga Casino Hotel

Trainer-driver John Stark Jr. went on a bit of a tear at Saratoga Casino Hotel previous to the short hiatus the track took during the week of Labor Day. The veteran horseman had a strong week or two at the Spa before his C And T’s Credit (Credit Winner) won the $50,000 Excelsior Final contested at Tioga Downs last Friday (Sept 11).

On Monday afternoon at the Spa, Stark recorded another training double as his trotter-led stable saw one horse go over the $100,000 mark in career earnings and another break his maiden. JNR Express (Conway Hall) set a lifetime mark on September 2^nd when he and John Stark Jr. went coast-to-coast for their third victory together on the season. On Monday, the four year old stepped up in class off his career-best 1:56.1 victory and again made his way to the winner’s circle. Stark asked the 3-5 betting favorite for early speed and JNR Express captured a pretty easy lead.

He was hounded by rival Mugshots Bro (Jay Randall) throughout almost the entire second half of the mile before drawing clear to win in 1:58.3. Navarone Hanover (Jimmy Devaux) sat the pocket to the winner on Monday and wound up as the runner-up while Mugshots Bro earned the show spot. With the earnings from his victory in the $4,800 conditioned race, JNR Express boosted his lifetime bankroll to over the $100,000 mark for owners James DeArmond and Russell Young of New York.

Earlier in the day, Stark guided his Magnetar (Muscle Hill) to an upset score as the five year old late-blooming trotter broke his maiden in 1:59 at odds of 9-1. Magnetar is owned by the Irony Alliance LLC of Gansevoort, NY.

Live racing continues on Tuesday afternoon at Saratoga with a matinee that kicks off at 12 Noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

With the $260,000 Joe Gerrity Jr. Memorial Pace being canceled this season, the richest race of 2020 at Saratoga Casino Hotel was Wednesday evening’s $156,500 New York Sire Stakes event for three year old trotting fillies. Love A Good Story (Chapter Seven- Celebrity Lovin- Andover Hall) was the public’s 1-5 betting favorite while in the midst of another monster campaign.

Andy Miller pilots the sophomore filly for trainer Julie Miller and owners Daniel Plouffe, Pinske Stables and Kentuckiana Racing Stable and moved the super soph out to the early lead on Wednesday. Untested in lap one, Love A Good Story reached the half in a comfortable 58.4 before picking up the pace a bit and checking in at three quarters in 1:27.1. The favorite had little difficulty putting the finishing touches on a measured length and a quarter victory that came in 1:55.4.

Without A Warning (Jason Bartlett) charged home to be the runner-up in the featured race while No Mas Drama (Joe Bongiorno) held on to finish third. For Love A Good Story, it was win number five in seven starts in 2020 and the twelfth win in seventeen career starts for the filly who now has over a half million dollars in earnings following Wednesday’s score.

While Miller sat behind the winner of the biggest race on the card, Jason Bartlett was the sulky star of the evening as the standout reinsman piloted six winners on Wednesday to continue what has been a big summer at the Spa for the 39 year old driver who has often come to town to drive on Sire Stakes evenings.

Live racing resumes on Monday afternoon at Saratoga with a first post time set for 12 Noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino

Hudson Phil (Shanghai Phil) made his return to the Saratoga Casino Hotel winner’s circle on Tuesday afternoon, an area is has been very familiar with over the course of the last few years. The Jackie Greene-trained five year old rattled off eight Open Pace victories in 2019, the second most of any horse at the Spa last season. Recently, Hudson Phil has spent much of his time competing out of town but the standout pacer raced in Tuesday’s $8,500 at Saratoga and went off at odds of 5-2. Fresh off a stint at Yonkers and the Meadowlands, Hudson Phil flashed early speed on Tuesday with driver Shawn Gray finding an early spot with him in a first quarter that went in 26.2. Hudson Phil wasn’t on the inside very long as he moved first-over on the leader after a 55.4 half. Working hard on the outside in a 28 second third quarter, Hudson Phil took the lead turning for home and narrowly held off the stretch threat from Funknwaffles (Billy Dobson) who came up just inches shy at the wire. Superstar pacer Crockets Cullen N (Larry Stalbaum) followed the cover of Hudson Phil before finishing third in the mile clocked in 1:53.2. The win was third of the season for Hudson Phil and just the second in the local Open Pace. He paid $7.70 to win and led an exacta with Funknwaffles second that returned $23.20. The triple with Crockets Cullen N third paid $49.80. Hudson Phil is owned by the Kellogg Racing Stables of Queensbury, NY.

Live racing continues on Wednesday evening at Saratoga with a first post time of 7:15pm. New York Sire Stakes action is featured with three year old trotting fillies taking center stage highlighted by a $156,600 race for the ladies.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino

There is a new track record for two year old pacing fillies at Saratoga Casino Hotel after Linda Toscano’s Heart Of Mine (Roll With Joe-Acquavella-Western Ideal) paced to a 1:53.2 victory in her $70,300 division of the New York Sire Stakes on Monday afternoon. In a race with two fillies that were sub 2-1 odds in the wagering sitting one-two throughout three quarters of the mile, Heart Of Mine powered up and past those rivals around the final turn before pacing away to score impressively and break her maiden. Heart Of Mine was a distant second in her previous start to stalwart Test Of Faith but sprung the mild upset on Monday after her one big brush was plenty to best her rivals. Jim Marohn Jr. piloted the now record-setting freshman filly, who is owned by Fred Wallace, Bay’s Stb, Radio Rcg Stb and Camelot Stb., to her first career win in on an afternoon that was dominated by the 38 year old reinsman. Marohn also sat behind the winner of the other $70,300 Sire Stakes event as Test Of Faith (Art Major-Cannae Cammie-Cam’s Card Shark) went coast-to-coast as her race’s heavy favorite en route to her fourth win in five career stakes tries. Brett Pelling trains Test Of Faith who scored decisively on Monday, drawing away to prevail in 1:53.4 and give Marohn a sweep of the co-featured Sire Stakes races and three winners on the card. Test Of Faith, who was backed to odds of 1-9, moved her career earnings to over the $145,000 mark in just five starts for owners Melvin Segal, Eddie Gran and Kentuckiana Racing Stable. The previous track record for two year old pacing fillies belonged to So Awesome who scored a stakes victory in 1:53.3 in 2018 with Tim Tetrick in the bike.

Live racing continues at Saratoga on Tuesday afternoon starting at 12 Noon and then takes place on Wednesday evening when NY Sire Stakes action is once again featured. First post on Wednesday is set for 7:15pm.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino

Deetzy (Jereme’s Jet) dropped and popped on Monday afternoon to give the meet’s leading driver at Saratoga Casino Hotel one of his four winners on the card. Billy Dobson has been the dominant driving force at the Spa for over a decade and on Monday, the 36 year old scored a grand slam. With a couple of Saratoga’s regulars off their drives for the matinee, Dobson picked up some extras assignments. One of the drives he picked up was behind Deetzy for trainer Jimmy Nickerson. Deetzy has been a participant of the Open Pace for the last few seasons and dropped from that level on Monday into a $5,750 conditional race. The eight year old veteran got a pocket trip behind a fellow class-dropper and shook loose around the final turn as dueling leaders slugged it out. Deetzy powered past his rivals in the stretch before stopping the timer in 1:54.3 to record his second victory of the season. The win was one of four on the day for Dobson who scored mild upsets behind trotters Amazing Sevens for trainer Margaret Spagnola, who had three winners on the card, and Storming Mist, who prevailed in his first career Spa start. The meet’s leading reinsman also guided young trotter Standing Man to a Monday score to keep the three year old Andy Sardella trainee undefeated in his young career.

Live racing takes place on Tuesday afternoon at Saratoga with a 12 Noon first post. There will be no Wednesday evening racing this week.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino

Two divisions of the New York Sire Stakes for two year old pacing fillies were featured on Wednesday night at Saratoga Casino Hotel and each division contained 1-9 betting favorites. The first saw a superstar freshman filly continue her terrific summer while the other saw the big favorite falter due to an early miscue. The win streak lengthened for Test Of Faith (Art Major-Cannae Cammie-Cam’s Card Shark) who easily cruised to victory with Jim Marohn Jr. piloting for trainer Brett Pelling. Test Of Faith, who owned two wins and second-place finish coming into her $70,300 race on Wednesday, coasted to a 1:54.2 score to continue the brilliant start to her career moving her earnings to over $100,000 already in just four lifetime starts. Heart Of Mine (Scott Zeron) came on to be second while Spicy Covina (Tyler Buter) earned the show spot.

1-9 shot Albergita Hanover made an early break in the $69,000 division of the NYSS for freshman fillies which opened things up for Rightfully Mine (American Ideal-Leah-Jet Laag). The Monique Cohen-trained Rightfully Mine was the runner-up to Albergita Hanover in each of their last two tries but with the favorite breaking early on Wednesday, it was Rightfully Mine’s race to lose. Jason Bartlett sat behind the talented filly as she made every pole a winning one en route to victory in 1:55.3 to break her maiden in resounding fashion. Think Of Galaxies (Mark Macdonald) closed sharply to be second while longshot Party Queen (Matt Kakaley) finished third. Rightfully Mine wound up paying in $15.40 to win in the mild upset with the big favorite out of it. Bartlett piloted three winners on the card as his successes at the Spa continue.

Live racing resumes on Monday afternoon starting at 12 Noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser-Simser

There were two $70,300 divisions of the New York Sire Stakes for two year old colt and gelding trotters contested on Monday afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Driver Jason Bartlett has thrived in his limited starts at Saratoga this season and Monday was no different as the talented reinsman piloted three winners on the card. Bartlett sat behind the Dan Daley-trained Ahundreddollarbill (Chapter Seven-Swinging Royalty-RC Royalty) for the first time and as the freshman moved first-over, the race’s favorite went off stride. Ahundreddollarbill powered away from the rest of the field to win in 1:57.4 to break his maiden and spring the upset at odds of 12-1. Ahundreddollarbill was the fastest Sire Stakes trotter of the day as the other division was won by Ake Svanstendt’s Ambassador Hanover (Chapter Seven-Angel Eyes Hanover-Cantab Hall) in 1:59.1. Ambassador Hanover moved his career record to three-for-three when he went coast-to-coast as the 4-5 betting favorite in his division on Monday. Bartlett, who had the Monday hat trick, finished second to Ambassador Hanover with Steel (Chapter Seven) for trainer Julie Miller while Sevenshadesofgrey (Corey Callahan) earned the show spot. New York Sire Stakes action returns to Saratoga on Wednesday evening when two year old filly pacers come to town.

Live racing continues on Tuesday afternoon at the Spa with a matinee beginning at 12:15pm.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser

There were two divisions of New York Sire Stakes action for three year old colt and gelding trotters contested on Wednesday evening at Saratoga Casino Hotel and two horses who have been winning machines in Stakes action continued their winning ways. The fastest of the $74,500 divisions of the NYSS went the way of the Jim Campbell-trained Hobbs (Credit Winner-Cruella De Ville-Yankee Glide) who scored his fourth consecutive victory with Jason Bartlett in the sulky. Hobbs powered out to the early lead on Wednesday and never looked back, stopping the timer in 1:56 to continue what has already been a monster sophomore campaign for the talented gelding. His race’s 4-5 betting favorite, Hobbs was tested briefly in the stretch by rival Barn Holden (Mark Macdonald) who finished second to keep his streak alive of hitting the board in all seven starts on the campaign. Take The Credit (Trond Smedshammer) finished third. Hobbs is owned by Runthetable Stables of Montvale, NJ.

The other division went to Trond Smedshammer’s Chaptiama (Chapter Seven-Crediama-Credit Winner) who continued his winning ways with a decisive wire-to-wire score as the 2-5 betting favorite in his division. Smedshammer got a comfortable first half for Chaptiama who went untested in a first lap in 59.1 before the super sophomore trotted his back half in 57 seconds en route to a 1:56.1 score. It was the third victory in a row and third on the season for Chaptiama who earned over $182,000 as a freshman in ’19 and is poised to match or surpass that number in what has been a terrific start to his 2020 campaign. Chaptiama, who is owned by Purple Haze Stables of Fairport, NY, bested runner-up Ballcapsnbluejeans (Mark Macdonald) who had to settle for second and Beerthirty K (Tyler Buter) who came up third best.

Live racing resumes on Monday afternoon at Saratoga with a matinee featuring more NY Sire Stakes action as two year old colt and gelding trotters come to town. First post time is set for 12 Noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino