Angel Nation and driver Brett Beckwith won Sunday’s open trot in 1:55.2 Angel Nation is trained by Melissa Beckwith.

Saratoga Casino Hotel, Saratoga Springs, New York

Melissa Simser

Moonshine Kisses (Sunshine Beach) continued his hot streak on Saturday night at Saratoga Casino Hotel when the Jackie Greene trainee rattled off his third consecutive win in the local Open Pace. The six year old, who has split his season between Saratoga and mostly Plainridge Park, put the swoop to the group once again in Saturday’s $16,000 Open when he went last to first with reinsman Jay Randall at the controls.

Moonshine Kisses prevailed in last weekend’s Open Pace when he pulled off a last-to-first move to stop the timer in 1:53. In his repeat effort, the star pacer again overcame his outside post by cruising past his rivals late to score in 1:53.3 in what was his eighth victory of the 2022 campaign and his third in the local Open in the month of October. On Saturday, the Greene trainee paid $4.80 as the race’s 7-5 betting favorite.

Pocket Of Terror A (Brett Beckwith) was the runner-up in the feature while longshot Crockets Cullen N (Larry Stalbaum) earned the show spot. The exacta and triple in the race returned $14.80 and $179.50, respectively. Moonshine Kisses is owned by the Kellogg Racing Stables of Queensbury, NY.

Live racing continues on Sunday afternoon with a first post time set for noon.

Saratoga Springs, New York

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser

Racey Rach N (A Rocknroll Dance) continued her utter domination at Saratoga Casino Hotel when on Monday she rattled off her incredible eleventh consecutive victory. The New Zealand invader has gone eleven-for-eleven since coming to the U.S. in the summertime. On Monday, the Lisa Zabielski trainee cruised to victory in her division of the Bunny Lake Pacing Series as her race’s 1-9 betting favorite one again.

Racey Rach N never had an anxious moment in recording her eleventh straight win, stopping the timer in 1:56.1 in her $12,500 division of the second leg of the Bunny Lake Pace. Chris Long sat behind the five year old mare who has been 1-9 odds in six consecutive starts and will be the big favorite in the series final coming up in a couple weeks. Racey Rach N is co-owned by trainer Lisa Zabielski and Kim Zabielski.

The other division of leg two of the series went the way of another Zabeilski trainee as Doyoukissfirstdate (American Ideal) got the pocket ride behind her race’s favorite before shaking loose late in the passing lane. Long piloted both series’ winners for Zabielski as Doyoukissfirstdate recorded her seventh victory of the 2022 campaign.

A fourth-place finisher in leg one, Doyoukissfirstdate went a long way towards punching her ticket towards the series final behind a Monday score that came in 1:58. The five year old distaffer is owned by Lisa Zabielski in partnership with Mark Salerno of Felton, DE. Doyoukissfirst date paid $6.40 to win as the second-choice in the wagering in her division of the 2^nd annual Bunny Lake Pace.

Live racing resumes on Saturday evening at Saratoga with a first post time set for 5pm.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser

Moonshine Kisses (Sunshine Beach) drew the outside post for Saturday night’s try in the Open Pace at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The Jackie Greene trainee is no stranger to winning Opens having done so on several occasions this season both locally and at Plainridge Park in Massachusetts. In Saturday’s installment of the $16,000 feature, he got away last in the six-horse Open.

The fractions were quick up front as they went to the half in 56.3 and when the favored Alluneedisfaith N (Shawn Gray) revved up the engine, the Jackie Green trainee followed him. Alluneedisfaith N was the even money favorite in the feature having finished first or second in six of his seven starts since moving to the stable of Alicia Gray in early August. That one powered up into contention while Moonshine Kisses tipped off his cover around the final turn.

It was Moonshine Kisses who paced fastest of all in the stretch surging past his rivals to score his second local Open win of the month coming on to get it in 1:53. The six year old, who is owned by the Kellogg Racing Stables of Queensbury, NY, secured his seventh victory of the season in just fifteen tries. Alluneedisfaith N lengthened his streak of finishing first or second when he was the runner-up Saturday to Moonshine Kisses completing a $13.80 exacta.

Talking Tom (Jimmy Devaux) finished third in a $56.50 triple. Jay Randall was the winning driver behind Moonshine Kisses.

Live racing continues on Sunday afternoon at Saratoga with a first post set for noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser

Trainer Melissa Beckwith’s stable has put forth a few different pacing mares of late that have thrived in the Fillies and Mares Open at Saratoga Casino Hotel. On Monday, Probert (Dali) was the distaffer out of the Beckwith barn to race in the $16,000 feature and although she drew the outside post in the six-horse Open, Probert appeared poised to thrive while coming off a second-place finish last week.

Brett Beckwith piloted Probert to that runner-up try and once again sat behind the five year old on Monday. The 19 year old reinsman flashed early speed with Probert who had been doing the majority of her best work from the back of the pack in recent months. The morning line favorite went off at odds of 3-1 in Monday’s feature and cruised through a first half in 56.3. Feeling just mild pressure, Probert stepped on the gas and paced away late in the mile to win the Open in 1:53.4 over a tracked labeled ‘sloppy.’

Longshot Always Watching (Jordan Derue) gobbled up some ground in the stretch to finish second on Monday while Alittlesidehustl N finished third to hit the board for the fifth consecutive week in the Open. For Probert, it was the second Open victory at the Spa in the last month. The winner is owned by Howard Jacobs, Jim Winske and Marcus Kemblowski. The victory was one of three on the card for trainer Melissa Beckwith and driver Brett Beckwith.

Live racing resumes on Saturday evening with first post time set for 5pm.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser

Sunday’s open trot at Saratoga saw a very tight finish but was won by semi-longshot Quadratic Bluechip (trainer Lisa Zabielski) and driver Chris Long. After getting away and sitting third up until the stretch the 6year-old by Muscle Hill was able to find his way through the field to win in 1:55.4 by a head.

Big Box Hanover (Larry Stalbaum) came on late and trotted an impressive mile after a rough trip, finishing second and clocking a last quarter in 29.1. Gigfy (trained by Brian Mattison and driven by Alek Chartrand) finished third, while post time favorite Mark of A Beast (Jim Devaux) and Goodashim (Brett Beckwith) finished in a dead heat for fourth. Quadratic Bluechip paid $12.60 to win.

Live racing continues Monday, with post time at 12pm.

Melissa Simser

There were three divisions of the first leg of the Gary Kamal Memorial Pacing Series contested on Saturday night at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Pickup Man Hanover (Huntsville) enjoyed a dynamic freshman campaign in 2021 which saw him hit the board in all eight starts en route to more than $110,000 in earnings.

The Simone Noud trainee made just the third start of his sophomore season on Saturday and cut the mile in his $12,500 division of the series. Driver Luke Hanners powered Pickup Man Hanover out to the lead in the early going and despite being tested for the majority of the mile held strong in the stretch to prevail in 1:54 and set a new lifetime mark. After recording leg one’s fastest victory on Saturday, Pickup Man Hanover established himself as perhaps the one to beat in the annual fall series.

The Andy Gardner-trained Special FX (Sportswriter) drew the rail in his division of the series and driver Chris Long got the four year old a pocket trip. The race’s odds-on favorite Wolftrax (Shawn Gray) got parked the mile but fought gamely every step of the way before losing a photo with Special FX at the wire. The Gardner trainee paid $12.60 in the mild upset. Wolftrax, who had to settle for second, will be one to watch in the remainder of the series.

The final division of the first leg of the Kamal Memorial went the way of Skyline Blue Chip (American Ideal). Despite the fact that the Gary Levine trainee came into the series on a two-race win streak, Skyline Blue Chip was dismissed at odds of 10-1 when he got a pocket trip from leading driver Jimmy Devaux. The three year old pacer cruised up the inside to record the upset while matching his lifetime mark while scoring in 1:55.2. Devaux piloted four winners on the Saturday card.

Live racing continues on Sunday afternoon with a first post time set for noon. There will be a Pick Five carryover of $1,995 beginning in the matinee’s first race.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser

La Bella Vita N (Changeover) stayed red hot on a chilly afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel on Monday. The Alicia Gray-trained distaffer overcame her outside post to win the $16,000 Fillies and Mares Open. Shawn Gray sat behind the seven year old as she won her third consecutive start on Monday.

Bouncing back and forth between Saratoga and Plainridge this summer, La Bella Vita N powered out early from post seven in the seven-horse feature and although she had to work hard to post a 27 second flat first quarter, the New Zealand invader got a big time breather in quarter two before reaching the half in 57 seconds. Probert (Brett Beckwith) wound up first-over on the race’s favorite on Monday and although she tested her in the stretch, the chase proved futile.

La Bella Vita N stopped the timer in 1:53.4 for her second victory in the local Open and her tenth win of the 2022 season. The even-money favorite led an exacta with Probert second that paid $19 while the triple, which was rounded out by Alittlesidehustl N (Billy Dobson), returned $49.60. She is owned by Bowie Racing of Illinois and Michael Goldberg Racing of Massachusetts.

Live racing resumes on Saturday evening at Saratoga with first post time set for 5pm.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser

Alluneedisfaith N (Art Major) has been a force since joining the stable of trainer Alicia Gray this August. On Saturday, the New Zealand invader won the local Open Pace for the second time and extended his streak of finishing first or second to five weeks. Alluneedisfaith N was the 4-5 betting favorite in Saturday’s Open at Saratoga Casino Hotel and driver Shawn Gray marched the public’s choice out to the lead in a first quarter in 28.1.

As if that fraction wasn’t soft enough, the veteran got even more of a breather before clicking off a half in 59.1 and from there the race seemed like it was over. Optical Illusion N (Chris Long) drew post seven in the seven-horse feature and had the daunting task of trying to close in a race with such soft fractions up front. Optical Illusion N drew even with Alluneedisfaith N late in the mile and those two squared off in the stretch before the favorite held strong to prevail in a mile paced in 1:54.3.

Optical Illusion N hit the board for the sixth time in his last seven tries in the Open when he finished second on Saturday to complete a $24 exacta. Keystone Dakota (Brett Beckwith) earned the show spot to round out a $76.50 triple. Alluneedisfaith N now has four wins and two seconds in seven starts since joining the Gray stable. The eight year old is owned by Doug Overhiser of Florida.

Live racing continues on Sunday afternoon at Saratoga with a matinee starting at noon. There will be a $1,486 carryover in the Pick Five pool with the Pick Five starting in the afternoon’s first race.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser