Dewey Arnold, trained by Dave Dewhurst, with regular driver Jim Devaux won Saratoga’s open trot on Sunday afternoon in 1:55.1

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

Mikibytheseaside (Always B Miki) was a winning machine upon coming to Saratoga Casino Hotel late last season. Trainer Andy Sardella acquired the young pacer in the fall of 2021 and wound up resting the then three year old after he scored victories in his first three local starts. After beginning his ’22 campaign with yet another victory in early April, Mikibytheseaside entered the Open.

The rising star was the runner-up in his first three starts in the $15,000 Open Pace before hitting a brief lull. The four year old Sardella trainee drew the rail for Saturday’s installment of the feature for pacers and despite being installed as the 3-1 second choice in the morning line was dismissed at odds of 7-1. Yonkers invader Picard A (Jimmy Devaux) set sizzling fractions on the front end and although Mikibytheseaside was part of the early speed tussle, he popped the pocket heading towards the three-quarter pole.

The young pacer ground the leader into submission turning for home before holding off a late charge from rival Belmont Major N (Leon Bailey) in the stretch to record his first Open victory. Belmont Major N closed to finish second while the favored Points North (Luke Hanners) earned the show spot. Mikibytheseaside paid $16.00 to win in the mild upset and led an exacta and triple that came back $46.20 and $108, respectively. The winner is owned by Mike and Bill Pozefsky of NY who recorded double on the card as their Gokudo Hanover (Shawn Gray) prevailed in a $9,350 event for claiming pacers.

Live racing continues on Sunday afternoon at Saratoga with a first post set for 12 Noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser

Dashintothebeach N (Somebeachsomewhere) is in the midst of her breakout season and the Brett Derue trainee put in her best career performance on Monday afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Dashintothebeach N rattled off a lengthy winning streak earlier in the 2022 campaign but came into Monday’s try in the $15,000 Fillies and Mares Open off back-to-back tries when a beaten favorite in the track’s top race for distaffers. Dashintothebeach N got the lead that she likes on Monday and never relinquished.

The five year old went a first half in 56.1 before cruising past three quarters in 1:24.1. The Derue-trained mare braced for the challenge of pocket-sitter Birch Island Betty (Chris Long) around the final turn and held her off in the late stages of what wound up being a lifetime-best 1:52.4 score in the feature. It was the second Open victory and ninth win overall on the season for Dashintothebeach N who paid $8.90 to win in the mild upset.

Birch Island Betty was the runner-up to complete a $56 exacta while last week’s Open winner Chasethecloudsaway (Luke Hanners) came on to finish third in a triple that returned $275.50. Dashintothebeach N is owned in partnership by Steve Picarazzi of Clifton Park, NY and her trainer Brett Derue of Queensbury, NY.

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

Mike Sardella

Photo: Cheyanne Mandy

Winning the Open Pace at Saratoga Casino Hotel is starting to look easy for Lake Charles (Well Said) as he added another victory to his tally on Saturday night. Trainer Amanda Kelley has recorded more wins in the Open Pace than any other trainer in 2022 when Lake Charles won the $15,000 feature for the fourth time of the season. Starting from post six in a six-horse Open, Lake Charles wasted little time moving out to the front end and never faced much of a challenge while going coast-to-coast in 1:52.1.

The public’s 1-2 betting favorite held off pocket-sitting longshot American Zest A (Larry Stalbaum) who finished second while Keystone Dakota (Luke Hanners) earned the show spot. Lake Charles’ score was one of three on the night for his connections as owner Scheigert&Alliesracing, LLC, trainer Amanda Kelley and driver Leon Bailey also scored with multiple Open Pace winner Some Waratah A, who went wire-to-wire in an $11,500 conditional race on Saturday, and Belmont Major N, who prevailed in the $13,000 Winners Over.

Bailey piloted four winners on the card in total. Kelley’s six wins in the Open Pace this season are far more than any other conditioner in the ’22 campaign at the Spa.

Live racing continues on Sunday afternoon at Saratoga with a matinee that begins at 12 Noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser

Driver Billy Dobson has been battling with defending champion Jimmy Devaux at the top of the driver standings in the first few months of the 2022 campaign at Saratoga Casino Hotel with Stop Staring (So Surreal). Coming into Friday night second among local drivers in ‘22, the 38 year old reinsman swept both halves of the co-features.

With no Open on the card, two divisions of $10,500 pacing events for colts and geldings served as co-features and Dobson went coast-to-coast in both races. Stop Staring set a lifetime mark earlier in the season when he cruised to a 1:52.4 victory on the engine and while Friday’s victory wasn’t quite as fast as his previous score, the 1:53.2 final time certainly stood out as impressive.

The Amanda Kelley-trained Stop Staring had little difficulty prevailing on Friday and did so as his race’s 1-2 top choice in the wagering. Major Makover also went the distance with Dobson in tow as the Gary Levine trainee prevailed for the fourth time in his last five starts, scoring in a seasonal best 1:54.2 on Friday to complete the driving double for Dobson.

Live racing continues on Saturday evening with a first post time of 5PM.

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

Mike Sardella
Photo: Melissa Simser

Chasethecloudsaway (Sunshine Beach) is the winningest horse in Opens this season at Saratoga Casino Hotel and the Chris Petrelli-trained distaffer scored another victory in the Fillies and Mares Open on Monday afternoon. A sixteen-time winner in her breakout 2021 campaign, Chasethecloudsaway has proven last season was no fluke.

On Monday, the five year old powered out to the early lead in the $16,050 feature for the ladies, getting to the top in a fast first quarter of 27.2. The 4-5 betting favorite got a bit of a breather in the middle half before being asked for her best around the final turn by driver Luke Hanners. Chasethecloudsaway kicked away late and wound up reporting home a winner by a length. Last year’s Saratoga Horse of the Year Surreal Feeling (Alek Chartrand) drew post eight in the nine-horse Open and came charging hard late to be second while So Diva (Brett Crawford) closed to finish third.

Chasethecloudsaway’s win was her fifth in the local Open this year to put her in the lead among all Open horses, both pacer and trotter, for most victories in the feature in ’22. On Monday, she paid $3.60 to win and led an exacta and triple that returned $23 and $239.50, respectively. Chasethecloudsaway is owned by David Del Pozzo of Methuen, MA.

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

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

Mike Sardella

Photo: Cheyanne Mandy

Remember Titans, trained by Jackie Greene, won Sunday’s open trot in 1:54.1. Jay Randall was the winning driver.

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

Lake Charles (Well Said) continued what has been a terrific start to the season in the Open Pace at Saratoga Casino Hotel for trainer Amanda Kelley when the five year old pacer won the featured race on Saturday evening. He enjoyed a strong 2021 campaign at the Spa winning the Open three times in his first local season out of the Kelley stable, including two of the final three installments of the feature for pacers on the year. His successes spilled right over to ’22 as Lake Charles scored an Open win in both February and March at Saratoga before stopping the timer in 1:51.4 for a victory in a $22,500 race for top-flight pacers at Plainridge a couple of weeks ago.

On Saturday night, driver Leon Bailey powered Lake Charles out to the front end and despite posting first-half fractions of 27.1 and 56 seconds had plenty left for the final half en route to a wire-to-wire win in the $15,000 Open. Somebeach Baron (Shawn Gray) sat the pocket and finished second while Mikibytheseaside (Jay Randall) earned the show spot in a sizzling mile paced in 1:513. Lake Charles paid $4.60 to win as the 6-5 favorite and led an exacta and triple that returned $27.20 and $82.50, respectively.

The Open Pace win was the fifth for the Kelley stable who secured victories this season with Mach Le More and Belmont Major N in addition to three Open scores with Lake Charles in the first few months of the ’22 campaign at Saratoga. Lake Charles is owned by Scheigert and allies racing LLC of Saratoga Springs.

Live racing continues on Sunday afternoon at Saratoga with a matinee that begins at 12 Noon.

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser

Askmenoquestions, trained and driven by Phil Fluet won the $11,250 finale at Saratoga tonight in 1:58.4

Luck B Mine (Bettor’s Delight) scored her first Open win at Saratoga Casino Hotel last season when the John Podres trainee prevailed against the track’s top pacing mares in a feature in mid-September. Following up her career year of 2021 hasn’t been easy for Luck B Mine but she has rediscovered her top form of late and found herself in the Fillies and Mares Open again on Monday afternoon. The five year old was dismissed at odds of 15-1 despite drawing post two for her try in the $15,000 Open. Driver Leon Bailey found some early speed from the talented distaffer and positioned her in the pocket behind the race’s favorite Dashintothebeach N (Jimmy Devaux).

An eight-time winner in ’22, Dashintothebeach N was the public choice in the Open for distaffers for the second consecutive week and cruised unopposed through a first half in 56.4. The leader was met with the challenge of upset-minded Luck B Mine around the final turn and those two slugged it out in the stretch before Luck B Mine took over, eventually stopping the timer in 1:54.1 to set a new lifetime mark. Dashintothebeach N finished second while Chasethecloudsaway (Luke Hanners) earned the show spot.

Luck B Mine’s second career win in the local Open was her second victory of the ’22 campaign. The Podres trainee paid $32.40 to win and led an exacta and triple that came back $100 and $213.50, respectively. The winner is owned by Steve Guido of Cicero, NY and Don Stockwell of Hudson Falls, NY.

Live racing resumes on Friday evening with Fridays being added to the racing calendar for the next months. First post time on Fridays will be 5PM. This week, there will be a Pick Five carryover of $3,513. The Pick Six Jackpot is up to one of its largest since the wager was instituted last year at Saratoga. The Jackpot is up to $11,417. It is a 20 cent wager.

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

Mike Sardella

Photo: Cheyanne Mandy