Platinum As recorded his first victory of the season back in February and since has been a favorite of the betting public in the early stages of the 2026 season at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The eight year old came up second-best last Monday (March 2) when a beaten favorite for the second consecutive week in the Open Trot but this week, the Melissa Beckwith trainee would not be denied. Brett Beckwith co-owns and drives Platinum As, who does the majority of his heavy lifting as a closer, showed early speed on Monday to make the lead. The 3-5 public choice in the $16,500 feature for high-steppers, Platinum As cruised through a first quarter in 27.4 before getting a bit of a breather and reaching the half in 58 seconds. Memorynimagination (Matt Athearn), a two-time Open winner in ’26, drew post eight on Monday and wound up coming first-over on the race’s favorite. The pursuit, while tenacious, proved futile, at least as far as trying to get to Platinum As who would not be denied. The second win of the year for Platinum As came in 1:56.1 while Memorynimagination was the runner-up. Longshot In A Tiny Way (Aaron Byron) earned the show spot. Platinum As gave Brett Beckwith one of his four winners on the Monday matinee card.

Live racing continues on Tuesday with first post time set for 12pm.

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett photo

Send It In Hanover won the Open Trot at Saratoga Casino Hotel for the first time on Monday afternoon. Kyle Swift piloted the young trotter for trainer Jaymes McAssey and drew the rail for his try in the $16,500 feature. The five year old, who won his seasonal debut at the Spa in early February, finished third in last week’s installment of the Open. Swift took no prisoners in Monday’s feature for high-steppers cutting the mile with Send It In Hanover who posted a 27.4 opening quarter before taking them to the half in 58 seconds. The race’s favorite Platinum As (Brett Beckwith) took dead aim on the leader through three quarters in 1:27.2 but the McAssey trainee didn’t want to give an inch and turned back the bid from Platinum As around the final turn before drawing clear to win the Open in 1:57.1. Platinum As came up second-best while Ordained (Larry Stalbaum) earned the show spot. Swift and McAssey teamed up for a trio of wins on the trotting-heavy Monday card as their Secret Or Not rattled off his third consecutive victory while National Love As completed the hat trick for his connections by grinding out a first-over score. Paul O’Neil owns the Open winner in addition to National Love As. Send It In Hanover paid $7.68 to win in his Monday score.

Live racing continues on Tuesday at Saratoga with a first post time of 12pm.

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett photo

Memorynimagination became the first trotter to win a pair of Opens on the young season at Saratoga Casino Hotel when the Jimmy Nickerson trainee put the swoop to the group in the Monday feature. Memorynimagination got away last in the seven-horse Open Trot but when two longshots slugged it out in a first half in 58.2, the table was set for the closers in the race. Memorynimagination made his move heading to three-quarters and picked off horses one-by-one before surging in the stretch to score in 1:58.2. Delayed Hanover (Jacob Cutting) was a strong second in his return to the Open while Send It In  Hanover (Kyle Swift) earned the show spot in the $16,500 feature for high-steppers. Last week (Feb 16), Memorynimagination recorded a victory in the local Open for the first time going coast-to-coast with Matt Athearn in the bike and on Tuesday, the seven year old showed his versatility by outclosing his rivals to complete the back-to-back jacks. Memorynimagination paid $7.74 to win on Monday.

Live racing continues on Tuesday with a matinee that begins at 12pm.

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett photo

Memorynimagination secured his first victory in the local Open Trot at Saratoga Casino Hotel late last year. The Jimmy Nickerson-trained trotter won the feature in December before wrapping up his season with a third-place finish in the Open. To begin his 2026 campaign, Memorynimagination finished third in each of his first two starts back before drawing post position five for Monday’s try in the $16,500 feature for high-steppers. Changing tactics from his past closing tendencies, Memorynimagination flashed early speed on Monday and moved out to the front in a first quarter that went in 28 before reaching the half in 58 seconds. Taking on a few challengers in the final half proved to be no problem for the five-year-old gelding as the Nickerson trainee had plenty left in the stretch to hold off pocket-sitting Ordained (Larry Stalbaum) to score in 1:56.2. Ordained was the runner-up for the second time in his three local starts this season while Up Helly Aa (Chris Long) stayed sharp while finishing third. Memorynimagination, an eight-time winner in ’25, paid $10.04 to win in his first score of ’26. Matt Athearn piloted the trotter to the Open victory for owner Joseph Trice of Hampden, ME.

Live racing continues on Tuesday at Saratoga with a matinee that begins at 12pm.

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett photo

Waitforever N (American Ideal) sprung the upset in the Monday feature at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The runner-up in last week’s Fillies and Mares Open, Waitforever N drew the outside post for her Monday try in the $16,500 ladies’ Open. The nine-year-old Brett Derue trainee got away last in the six-horse feature as fast fractions were being set up front by the race’s favorite Soft Shot (Kyle Swift). Soft Shot cruised through first-half fractions of 27 and 56.3 before being met with the challenge of longshot Waitforever N past three quarters in 1:25.3. The favorite tired a bit late and 18-1 shot Waitforever N just kept plugging away. The Derue trainee would not be denied and stopped the timer in 1:55 to record the upset win. Island Bouhinia A (Jacob Cutting) sat the pocket to the favorite before cruising past her in the stretch to finish second while Soft Shot had to settle for third in the Open for the second consecutive week. Waitforever N, who was an eight-time winner in 2025, is owned by Picarazzi, Bullard and her trainer Brett Derue and was piloted to the Monday score by Leon Bailey. The matinee card saw reinsman Brett Beckwith pilot five winners.

Live racing continues on Tuesday with first post time set for 12pm.

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett photo

Twist Little Girl N (Vincent) parlayed her pocket ride to victory in Monday’s feature at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The Edwin Quevedo trainee scored a win in the local Fillies and Mares Open in 2025 and after enduring a bit of a cold stretch made her return to the winner’s circle in Monday’s installment of the $16,500 Open for the ladies’. Justin Huckabone has piloted Twist Little Girl N in all of her local starts, and the young reinsman got a two-hole trip for the seven-year-old distaffer on Monday behind Waitforever N (Leon Bailey). Waitforever N carved out the fractions in the feature going a quarter in 27.3 before backing it down to reach the half in 58 seconds. The race’s favorite Soft Spot (Kyle Swift) was tasked with overcoming a first-over trip while pursuing Waitforever N and that pair engaged in a heavy-duty battle past three quarters in 1:26.2. All the while, Twist Little Girl N sat patiently in the pocket and waited for the passing lane to open up in the stretch. When she found open road, the Quevedo trainee surged and got up to win in 1:55.4 on a cold February afternoon in the Spa City. Waitforever N was the runner-up while the favored Soft Spot earned the show spot in her local debut. Twist Little Girl N paid $10.09 to win in what was her second score in the local Open since coming to town last season.

Live racing continues on Tuesday with a matinee that begins at 12pm. There will be a carryover in the early Pick Four of $1,672. The Pick Four is a $1 wager and starts in the matinee’s second race.

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett photo

For the second straight day, trainer/driver Larry Stalbaum won the featured race at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Stalbaum’s Rocknroll Runa A secured his second consecutive Open Pace victory on Sunday’s matinee when the classy veteran scored from well off the pace. In Monday’s feature, Stalbaum’s Ordained (Father Patrick) came from the back of the pack before scoring the mild upset in the $18,500 Open Trot. Ordained was the even-money favorite in last week’s Open try when he wound up as the runner-up but on Monday, the four-year-old would not be denied stopping the timer in 1:57.1. Dealin With Dewey (Shawn Gray) came up second-best while last week’s winner Memorynimagination (Leon Bailey) earned the show spot. Ordained moved his seasonal earnings to over the $200,000 mark with the win which was his seventh in 2025. The winner paid $15.48 in the mild Monday upset. Ordained is owned by Gary and Tracey Smith.

Memorynimagination (Father Patrick) put the swoop to the group on Monday in his debut in the local feature at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Jimmy Nickerson trains the four-year-old who is in the midst of his second consecutive six-figure campaign and made his Spa debut in the $18,500 Open Trot. Getting away towards the back of the pack, Memorynimagination sat patiently back in a lap that was trotted in 57.1. The fractions were set by the favorite Ordained (Larry Stalbaum) who made just his second local start in Monday’s feature. Ordained turned back the first-over bid from longshot Up Helly Aa (Chris Long) before Memorynimagination came charging hard in the stretch. The Nickerson trainee stormed by the favorite in the final strides to score by a half length in a mile clocked in 1:57. Ordained was second-best while Up Helly Aa finished third. Memorynimagination’s win was his eighth in the 2025 season. Matt Athearn piloted the Open for owner Joseph Trice. Memorynimagination paid $11.98 to win. Nickerson scored a training double on the Monday card when his Cruising Tom prevailed in the finale despite getting a first-over journey. The five year old invader was driven to victory by Jacob Cutting.

Live racing continues on Tuesday with a matinee that starts at 12pm.

Platinum As (E L Titan) came from a long way back to score in the Monday feature at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Melissa Beckwith will win the training title by a large margin and added another couple of winners to her tally on the Monday card highlighted by the victory in the Open Trot. Brett Beckwith piloted Platinum As in the $18,500 feature and got away second to last in the eight-horse Open. The seven year old trotter recently moved over the half million dollar mark in lifetime earnings and on Monday won for the tenth time of the year. Platinum As remained sixth at the three-quarter pole in a race that saw Up Helly Aa (Chris Long) lead through a half in 58.2 and three quarters in 1:26.3. Platinum As continued to pick off his rivals one by one before dropping into the passing lane in the stretch. Longshot Up Helly Aa held strong but wound up second-best to Platinum As while the favorite Morning Edition (Shawn Gray) earned the show spot. Platinum As paid $10.56 to win in what was his tenth victory in a 2025 campaign that has seen him earn over $175,000. The score was one of two on the day for the Beckwith stable and for Brett Beckwith as co-owner as his Ikon Vang DK also secured a Monday win. Brett Beckwith made three trips to the winner’s circle all together on the matinee card.

Live racing is set to continue on Tuesday with a first post time of 12pm.

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett photo

Duke Lavictoire (Royalty For Life) pulled off the upset in Monday’s Open Trot at Saratoga Casino Hotel. After prevailing off a class drop last week, the Brett Derue-trained trotter moved back into the $18,500 feature and drew post two. Jay Randall picked up the catch-drive behind Duke Lavictoire who showed early speed to wind up in the pocket behind Up Helly AA (Chris Long). That one set first-half fractions of 27.4 and 57.3 while bracing for Duke Lavictoire who wound up popping the pocket in the stretch and coming on to win in 1:56.2. Last week’s Open winner Dealin With Dewey (Aaron Byron) closed up the rail to be second while Morning Edition (Shawn Gray) earned the show spot. Duke Lavictoire was dismissed at odds of 15-1 in what was his second Open Trot win of the year and his first since June. It was start number one hundred in the career of Duke Lavictoire whose Monday win was his 30^th lifetime. The Open score was one of two on the card for owners Steve Picarazzi and Brett Derue (who co-own Duke Lavictoire with Donnie Bullard), for Derue as trainer and Jay Randall as driver as that crew teamed up for a victory with Cantab My Party in the afternoon’s opener.

Live racing continues on Tuesday with a matinee that begins at 12pm.

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett photo