On Friday night, ER Sophia (Swan For All) found herself in the Open Trot at Saratoga Casino Hotel for the just the second time in her career. The John Mongeon trainee finished fourth in her lone try in the trotting feature and headed back into the $16,000 Open on Friday evening following a close second place finish in last week’s installment of the Winners Over for trotters.

Leading driver Jimmy Devaux found some early speed from the six year old mare who was facing a bit softer of a group than usual in the Friday Open. ER Sophia enjoyed a hassle-free first lap and coasted to the half in 59.2 before cruising out to win by open lengths in 1:56.4. Released at odds of 9-2, ER Sophia recorded her sixth victory of the season but her first in an Open.

The race’s longshot Deswanslittlelorie (Leon Bailey) got the pocket ride behind the winner and ended up as the runner-up while dismissed at odds of 55-1. Theresademoninme (Shawn Gray) earned the show spot. ER Sophia, who was a ten-time winner in 2021, is owned by Brenda Messenger of Monticello, NY in partnership with Scott Woogen of North Chesterfield, VA. The winner paid $11.80 and led an exacta and triple that returned $337.50 and $653, respectively.

Live racing continues on Saturday evening with a star-studded fifteen race program highlighted by the 13^th annual Joe Gerrity Jr. Memorial Pace. The $250,000 race is the richest of the season at the Spa and will be featured on a night where NY Sire Stakes action for two year old pacing colts and geldings will also take place. First post time is set for 6:45pm.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser

Bare My Soul (trained by Linda Toscano) and driver Scott Zeron won the fastest division of Sunday night’s NYSS for 3yr old trotting fillies in 1:56.

Live racing will resume at Saratoga Casino Hotel, Saratoga Springs, NY

Melissa Simser

Nuttin But Finesse (Art Major) drew the rail for his try in Saturday’s installment of the $16,000 Open Pace at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Luke Hanners has been the regular reinsman for the Janice Connor-trained pacer who is in the midst of a career year. The 2021 campaign could be considered the breakout season for Nuttin But Finesse who won seven times last year en route to earnings of just shy of $50,000.

On Saturday, the four year old took advantage of his inside post and cut the mile in the feature. Setting first half fractions of 27.1 and 55.4, Nuttin But Finesse continued to set a fast pace clicking off three quarters in 1:23.1 while confronted by rival Moonshine Kisses (Billy Dobson) who took to the first-over path to try and reel in the leader.

Nuttin But Finesse added “Open winner” to his growing resume as he held strong in the stretch to prevail in 1:51. The clocking not only served as a new lifetime mark for the Connor trainee but also made him the fastest pacer thus far this season at Saratoga. Moonshine Kisses toughed it out to be second while pocket-sitter Mach Le More A (Leon Bailey) earned the show spot.

Nuttin But Finesse was the race’s 8-5 betting favorite and led an exacta and triple that paid $32 and $116, respectively. Hanners became the fifth different driver to the win the last five installments of the Open Pace this summer. The young reinsman piloted three winners on the Saturday card.

Live racing continues on Sunday evening at Saratoga with NY Sire Stakes action taking center stage. First post time for Sunday’s card is set for 6:45pm.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Cheyanne Mandy

Demeter N (Art Major) went coast-to-coast to score her first victory in the Fillies and Mares Open at Saratoga Casino Hotel on Monday afternoon. Larry Stalbaum trains and drives the seven year old distaffer after acquiring her last month. In Monday’s $16,000 feature, Demeter N powered out to the early lead as the race’s 4-5 betting favorite.

Demeter N paced a leisurely first half of 58 seconds and then had plenty left to hold off a mild threat from pocket-sitting Shallow (Brian Cross) in the stretch. Last week’s Open winner Birch Island Betty had the daunting task of coming from last in a back-half that went in 55.4 before having to settle for third. Demeter’s 1:53.4 win time matched the seasonal-best clocking she set in April at Yonkers Raceway.

The exacta with Shallow second paid $15.40 while the triple completed by Birch Island Betty returned $47.20. Demeter N is owned by the Shark Racing Stable of Bainbridge, NY.

Live racing resumes on Friday evening starting at 6:45pm as the summer portion of the racing schedule gets underway. That schedule consists of Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening racing with first posts set for 6:45pm each night.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser

On Saturday evening, Lake Charles (Well Said) became the second horse to win as many as five Opens this season at Saratoga Casino Hotel when the Amanda Kelley trainee prevailed in the $16,000 Open Pace. Lake Charles powered out from post position five on Saturday to make the lead but was quickly confronted by the race’s favorite whose attempted quarter move was rebuffed.

The five year old sizzled through a first half in 55.1 before being met with the challenge of Apex Seelster (Jimmy Devaux) who hit the board in all four of his local starts heading into Saturday’s try in the feature. Lake Charles drew clear again in the stretch before hanging on to win in 1:52. Apex Seelster was a strong runner-up while longshot American Zest A (Larry Stalbaum) came on to finish third. Lake Charles paid $8.40 to win and led an exacta and triple that returned $42.20 and $435.50, respectively.

The victory was the fifth in Open company at the Spa this season for Lake Charles who matched pacing mare Chasethecloudsaway as the winningest Open horses in the 2022 campaign. Saturday’s winner is owned by Scheigert&Alliesracing LLC of Saratoga Springs, NY. 

Live racing continues on Sunday afternoon in Saratoga Springs and will feature a Pick 5 carryover of $1,374 with the Pick 5 beginning in the matinee’s first race. Post time is set for Noon.   

Mike Sardella 

Photo: Melissa Simser

Saratoga harness hosted the NYSS 2 year old trotting colts Friday night. The fastest of the four divisions was won by Crown, trained by Marcus Melander and driven to the win by Brian Sears. The maiden trotter by Chapter Seven won is first pari-mutuel start in 1:57.1

Live racing will continue at Saratoga Casino Hotel.

The Independence Day matinee featured two year old pacing fillies on Monday afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel. There were three divisions of the New York Sire Stakes for freshman fillies that each went for a purse of $51,300. Twin B Joe Fresh (Roll With Joe) was the fastest of the two year olds on the card as the Chris Ryder trainee made her Sire Stakes debut a winning one in 1:54.3. Jason Bartlett piloted Twin B Joe Fresh who won her lifetime debut at the Meadowlands in June while taking part in Geers competition. On Monday, the Ryder-trained up-and-comer cruised to a decisive score to move her record to two-for-two. She was the public’s 1-9 betting favorite in her $51,300 division.

Vivians Dream (American Ideal) was also a repeat winner on Monday as the Cory Mumford-trained filly was impressive for the second straight try in NYSS competition. Wally Hennessey picked up the catch-drive behind Vivians Dream who scored impressively in her debut at Buffalo Raceway and had little difficulty repeating. The final time for both wins to kick off her freshman campaign was 1:54.4. She was the 2-5 public choice in the wagering in her Spa debut.

The only mild upset of the trio of stakes races went the way of Ray Schnittker’s Hunting Season (Huntsville) who went coast-to-coast at odds of 5-2. The freshman filly came to town off a win at Pocono Downs and handled the move to the half-mile track with ease on Monday as she went wire-to-wire with Mark Macdonald at the controls. Hunting Season stopped the timer in 1:55.1 in her first Sire Stakes score. The freshman paid $7.10 to win as her race’s second choice in the wagering.

Live racing resumes on Friday evening at Saratoga when NY Sire Stakes action will again be featured as two year old colt and gelding trotters will highlight the thirteen-race card. First post time is set for 5PM.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser

Reign Of Honor won his second open trot this year with Shawn Gray in the bike on Sunday afternoon. He also earned a new lifetime mark on a half mile, trotting to the win in  1:55.2. Reign Of Honor is trained by Kevin McDermott.

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

Belmont Major N won Saturday night’s feature pace for trainer Amanda Kelley. Driver Leon Bailey steered the 6 year old gelding to the win in 1:51.3.

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

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