Vel Mr Nice Guy won Saratoga Casino Hotel‘s Saturday Night Open Pace in his first start at Saratoga for trainer Melissa Beckwith. The four year old gelding was driven to the win by Billy Dobson in 1:52.2

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In what has been a breakout season for her at Saratoga Casino Hotel, trainer Erica Chartrand secured a training double on Friday evening.  Chartrand’s (Conway Hall) had consistently finished first or second in the winners of two but not more than five class for trotters this spring before traveling out of town for a stint in the New York Sire Stakes. Debs Prince Hall was back to the Spa on Friday to compete in one of the $11,000 co-features for trotters and driver Alek Chartrand powered the talented three year old up first-over.

The gutsy sophomore fought gamely on the outside before wearing down the race’s leader and powering away to prevail by better than two lengths in 1:58.2. Debs Prince Hall, who is owned by Richard Vale of Cambridge, NY, has now finished first or second in five consecutive local starts. Team Chartrand teamed up for another win on Friday when their Valor (Always B Miki) broke his maiden while following the same path as stablemate Debs Prince Hall by taking the first-over journey to the winner’s circle. Valor’s first career score came in 1:55.4 to complete the double for Erica and Alek Chartrand. The three year old Valor is owned by Mike Moore of Old Westbury, NY.

Live racing continues on Saturday evening at Saratoga with first post time set for 5PM

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser

Two year old trotting fillies Canterbury Hanover (Chapter Seven-Charmed Life-Majestic Son) and Kayleigh S (Chapter Seven-Pasithea Face S- Muscle Hill) took center stage on Monday afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel as a pair of New York Sire Stakes races highlighted the twelve-race card. Most fillies were making their lifetime debut when they took part in the $78,700 and $77,300 co-featured races for the rookie trotters. Stablemates Canterbury Hanover and Kayleigh S recorded victories in the big races for trainer Marcus Melander and driver Brian Sears.

Canterbury Hanover had one solid qualifier as prep for her debut on Monday and cruised on the front end under the guidance of the Hall of Famer Sears in her NY Sire Stake race. Canterbury Hanover, the 4-5 betting favorite, cruised to a decisive score in her debut. The freshman filly was the fastest two year old of the day as she stopped the timer in 1:59. Canterbury Hanover is owned by Holly Lane Stud East LTD of Vero Beach, FL.

Kayleigh S also came in with one qualifier at the Meadowlands on her resume, one in which she showed some promise. Sears wasted little time moving to the front with the Melander trainee who held off just a mild challenge from the favorite in the stretch before scoring in 2:00.4 in the $77,300 NY Sire Stakes event for freshman fillies. Kayleigh S, who paid $5.80 to win as her race’s second choice in the wagering, is owned by Courant Inc. of Delray Beach, FL. While Sears won the two biggest races of the day, Jason Bartlett piloted three winners on the matinee card.

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

Mike Sardella

Photo:  Melissa Simser

Apex Seelster (Big Jim) is in the midst of a career year and on Saturday night, the Monticello invader looked to prevail in Saratoga Casino Hotel’s Open Pace for the first time. The Ken Koch-trained pacer came to town as a winner of three consecutive tries in the Monticello Open and after scoring in the $13,000 Winners Over in his Spa debut, Apex Seelster finished second in last weekend’s Open despite making a break before the start. On Saturday, the six year old drew post five in the eight-horse Open and wound up coming first-over on the race’s leader Lake Charles (Leon Bailey).

The winningest Open horse in the 2022 campaign at the Spa, Lake Charles left to overcome post eight and after getting a first half in 56 seconds was approached by Apex Seelster who looked to grind the leader into submission. In the meantime, Mikibytheseaside (Luke Hanners), who came into the race off an Open win of his own, sat the pocket behind the dueling leaders who brought their battle into the homestretch.

Those three fought it out to the wire where Apex Seelster emerged victorious in a mile clocked in 1:52.1 on a chilly evening in the Spa City. Mikibytheseaside finished second at odds of 12-1 while Lake Charles held third. The winner paid $4.60 and led an exacta and triple that returned $52.50 and $312, respectively. Apex Seelster is owned by Tom Milici of Montgomery, NY.

Live racing at Saratoga continues on Sunday afternoon with a Noon start to the Father’s Day matinee.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Cheyanne Mandy

Infinite Symbol A (Indomitable Saab) posted the biggest upset win in an Open this season at Saratoga Casino Hotel on Monday afternoon when the Amanda Kelly-trained distaffer scored in the Fillies and Mares Open. The eight year old Aussie invader made her Spa debut earlier this year and although she has enjoyed some success at the lower levels had never competed in an Open before.

On Monday, she drew post two but was dismissed at odds of 24-1 in the $16,000 ladies’ feature. Phil Fluet sat behind Infinite Symbol A who wound up getting a pocket ride to rival Birch Island Betty (Chris Long). Just six weeks removed from competing in the lowest classification at the track, Infinite Symbol A scored a win in the Open after powering past the pacesetter to prevail in 1:54.1 on Monday.

Birch Island Betty finished second while the favorite Chasethecloudsaway (Luke Hanners) had to settle for third. Infinite Symbol A paid $51 to win in the upset and led an exacta and triple that returned a hefty $352 and $1,048, respectively. The winner is owned by the Scheigert&Alliesracing stable of Saratoga Springs who secured a double on the card when their young pacer NY Hardcore (American Ideal) broke her maiden in an $8,700 race for three year old fillies. Fluet piloted both halves of the double for the Scheigert&Allies stable and their trainer Amanda Kelley.

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

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser

Saratoga Harness hosted the NYSS 3year old colt pacers today. Twin B Deluxe, trained by Andrew Harris, won the first of three New York Sire Stakes races each with a purse of $58,000. Driver Jason Bartlett steered Twin B Deluxe to the win in 1:53.

Im Sir Blake A (Alta Christiano N) came into his local debut off a three week layoff on Saturday night at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The Erv Miller-trained seven year old is in the midst of a career season that has seen him pile up over $120,000 in earnings while competing primarily at Yonkers Raceway. The seven year old made his Spa debut in Saturday’s $16,000 Open Pace and was the assigned the outside post in the five-horse feature.

Veteran Artful Way (Billy Dobson) cut the mile in the feature and was pushed to the limit by a first-over bid from the favored Belmont Major N (Leon Bailey) while Im Sir Blake A followed his cover into the final turn. The invader powered up to take over the lead in the stretch and had enough left to withstand a late bid from Apex Seelster (Jimmy Devaux) who wound up coming up second-best to Im Sir Blake A who paid $5.50 to win as the 8-5 second choice in the wagering.

The exacta with Apex Seelster returned $17 while the triple, which was completed by Belmont Major N, came back $29.60. Im Sir Blake A, who is owned by Doug Overhiser of Shorewood, IL, paced the mile in 1:51.2, a final time that serves as the fastest for any horse this season at Saratoga. He was driven to the Open score by Shawn Gray.

Live racing continues on Sunday afternoon at the Spa with NY Sire Stakes action highlighting a 13-race card. First post time is set for Noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Cheyanne Mandy

Sea Shadows (Shadow Play) made her debut out of the Melissa Beckwith stable a winning one on Monday afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The seven year old distaffer didn’t factor in her first start at the Spa this season when in the Fillies and Mares Open on May 16^th, she finished sixth in a seven-horse feature. A talented mare who came into Monday’s try in the Open as a seven-time winner in 2022 after competing primarily at Pompano Park in Florida before traveling north this spring, Sea Shadows was put in gear in the early going by driver Wally Hennessey who powered to the front-end with the race’s 2-1 second choice in the wagering.

The fractions in the feature were fast but despite posting a first half in 56.2, Sea Shadows (Shadow Play) showed no signs of letting up and in fact began to draw away from the race’s favorite, pocket-sitting Luck B Mine (Jimmy Devaux) approaching three quarters before powering out to win by four lengths in 1:52.3. Luck B Mine finished second while All Speed Rising (Justin Huckabone) earned the show spot. For Sea Shadows, it was win number eight on the campaign to match her win total from the ’21 season. She is owned by Paul O’Neil of Saratoga Springs. Beckwith and Hennessey followed up the victory in the feature with another win on Monday as Party Queen prevailed in a $10,500 for pacing mares in the race that followed the Open on the ten-race card.

Live racing resumes on Friday evening at Saratoga with a first post time of 5PM.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Cheyanne Mandy