Trainer Robyn Mangiardi and driver Chris Long continued a strong stretch on Monday afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel when their Isle Coach went coast-to-coast in one of the co-features. Mangiardi and Long teamed up for the win in the Sunday feature when their Free Willy Hanover scored his first ever score in the local Open Trot. On Monday, Isle Coach drew the rail for his second local try as he competed in an $8,000 race for young pacers.

Coming off a second-place finish in his Spa debut, Isle Coach controlled the action from start to finish en route to a 1:56.3 victory, his second in the 2024 campaign after spending the early portion of his season racing at Freehold Raceway. The four year old gelding by Corner Blitz out of the Island Fantasy mare Madeira Island held off late bids from longshot Heir Of Southwest (Brett Crawford), who was the runner-up, and pocket-sitter Duck Dynasty (Mark Beckwith) who had to settle for the show spot.

Mangiardi, who was voted as the Horsewoman of the Year at Saratoga in ’23, is off to another strong start to her campaign this year and followed up her first Open win with the Monday score with her newly-acquired Isle Coach whom she owns.

Live racing continues at Saratoga on Tuesday afternoon with a matinee that begins at noon.

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett photo

Trotting Filly Meepers (E L Titan) moved her record to two-for-two in 2024 when on Monday afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel, the sophomore high-stepper went coast-to-coast. Meepers raced just once as a freshman in ’23 and in that start, she finished second in a $35,200 New York Sire Stakes event at Buffalo Raceway.

Michelle Crawford trains Meepers for owner Michael Gilhooly of Delanson, NY and Brett Crawford drives the filly who cruised unopposed in the early going in her $7,500 Monday try for young trotters and never faced an anxious moment en route to repeating on the lead in 2:02 for team Crawford. The filly appears to be racing into form for an upcoming run at the NY Sire Stakes this spring and summer.

The Monday card was also highlighted by another impressive feat by leading driver Brett Beckwith. The 21 year old pilot drove five winners on both the Saturday and Sunday cards at the Spa leading up to a Monday program which saw him pile up another five victories. Beckwith has surged out to a commanding lead in the driver standings and continues to pad his lead daily aided by his three consecutive five-packs on Monday.

Live racing continues on Tuesday at Saratoga with a first post time set for noon.

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

Young reinsman Matt Athearn enjoyed his best day of the season on Monday at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The 25-year-old pilot, who last year was named the Johnny Page Award winner for up-and-coming drivers at the Spa, scored a driver’s grand slam on Monday’s matinee card. His four-bagger was highlighted by a victory behind Summit City Sonny (Dover Dan) in the Open Trot.

The five-year-old Summit City Sonny prevailed in the Open for the first time this season after being a solid force in the trotting feature in 2023 for trainer Jesse McAssey. On Monday, Athearn guided Summit City Sonny out to an early lead that saw him click off first-half fractions of 27.2 and 57.1. Pocket-sitter City Of Hope (Jimmy Devaux) followed the leader’s every move before ending up second-best to Summit City Sonny who stopped the timer in 1:57 for his second win of 2024 and his first in Open company.

City Of Hope completed a $19.60 exacta while Snowpiercer (Brett Beckwith) finished third in his debut in the $15,000 Open to round out a triple that returned $62. Summit City Sonny, who is co-owned by Adam Friedland and his trainer Jesse McAssey, paid $8.20 to win in the mild upset. Athearn’s four-win afternoon puts him in third place in the driver standings with nearly two months of the racing season now complete.

Live racing continues on Tuesday afternoon with a matinee that starts at noon.

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett photo

Tiktok Roy (Swan In A Million) was a resounding winner in a $9,500 co-featured trotting race contested on Monday at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The Monica Krist trainee has been lightly raced over the course of the last year and a half but has found his stride in recent weeks. Tiktok Roy cruised to a six-length romp earlier this month and did so in a speedy 1:57.2.

Following a break in his previous start, Tiktok Roy was the 8-5 second-choice in the wagering on Monday while stepping up in class from the level of his first win of the season. On Monday, the four year old made an easy lead with Billy Dobson driving for owner Rick Dobson of Howell, MI. With the race’s favorite having made a break early in the mile, Tiktok Roy never faced a legitimate challenge in going coast-to-coast in a win time that matched that of his first seasonal victory, scoring in 1:57.2 once again as an open-length winner.

The other co-featured trot went the way of longshot Ruby Roundhouse (You Know You) who came from off the pace to win in 1:58.4 at odds of 28-1. Jay Randall piloted Ruby Roundhouse to the win for owners Nick Segel and Claude Bourgois and trainer Barry Segel.

Live racing continues on Tuesday with a matinee set to kick off at noon. There is a $4,177 carryover in the Pick Five pool to the Pick Five scheduled to start in race one on Tuesday.

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett photo

Driver Jay Randall enjoyed a four-win afternoon on Monday at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The veteran reinsman got his day off to a strong start when invader Barnello (Bar Hopping) trotted to a maiden victory in the matinee’s opener.

From there, Randall went on to guide Pembroke Traveler to an open-length score before winning his third of the day behind the Gary Levine-trained Ouchie. Ouchie’s win was the second in his last three starts for Randall and Levine.

Randall wrapped up his afternoon with a victory behind the Dave Byer-trained Texas Town (Huntsville) who won for the second consecutive week. The four-year-old Texas Town was the second-choice in the wagering in his $9,500 co-featured race for pacers and had the task of battling the favorite who was on the front-end.

Texas Town fought gamely on before grinding Jimble Kimble (Matt Athearn) into defeat late in the mile before stopping the timer in 1:56.2 to complete the Randall grand slam.

Jimble Kimble was a solid second while Flying Image (Chris Long) continued his strong campaign as he finished third. Texas Town is co-owned by Jerry Hoffman and his trainer Dave Byer, both of New York.

Jay Randall has begun his season in the top five in the driver standings at Saratoga this season and enjoyed his biggest day of the young campaign on Monday.

Live racing takes place on Tuesday afternoon with a matinee the kicks off at noon. There is a $19,684.94 carry over in the Jackpot Super High 5.

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett Photo

Driver Brett Beckwith continued his red hot start to the 2024 season at Saratoga Casino Hotel on Monday as the 21-year-old reinsman piled up four more winners. Beckwith sat behind the afternoon’s feature winner as Go Dancing A (A Rocknroll Dance) overcame post eight to win for the third consecutive time.

The 2-1 favorite in the wagering despite the unlucky post draw, Go Dancing A surged out to the early lead under the urging of an aggressive Beckwith who guided the seven year old to a wire-to-wire Monday score in a $9,500 event for colt and gelding pacers.

Go Dancing A stopped the timer in a ’24 best 1:54.2 in what wound up being a training double for Mark Beckwith. Both Brett Beckwith and Mark Beckwith teamed up for a win with Pax Hanover, who went coast-to-coast in an $8,000 race for young trotters.

Pax Hanover’s victory came in a seasonal best 1:59.1 to complete the Monday grand slam for the young reinsman who has powered out to a commanding lead in the driver standings in the season’s opening month.

Live racing continues on Tuesday afternoon with a matinee that begins at noon.

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett photo

Reinsman Brett Beckwith has gotten his 2024 season off to a big start at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The 21 year old rising star has powered out to a healthy lead in the early driver standings at the Spa and on Monday, he added four more wins to his bulky total. Beckwith’s grand slam included a victory while sitting behind the Jackie Greene-trained Busting With Pride (Resolve) who went coast-to-coast in the afternoon’s co-featured race for young trotters.

Busting With Pride made a break in his seasonal debut but has since gone back-to-back following a Monday romp that came in a career-best 1:57.2. Beckwith wasted very little time moving the 3-5 betting favorite to the top in his $9,500 race for trotters and while a couple of rivals made breaks behind him, it appeared that Busting With Pride was much the best on Monday.

Busting With Pride registered a nearly seven-length victory to give Beckwith a driving four-bagger, a feat that has pretty much been the norm for the driver in the early stages of the ’24 campaign. Busting With Pride is owned by Kellogg Racing Stables and Jackie Greene Stables of New York.

Live racing continues on Tuesday afternoon with a matinee that begins at noon.

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett photo

Manofmanymuscles (Muscles Massive) made his local debut from the rail at Saratoga Casino Hotel on Monday afternoon. Brett Beckwith sat behind the seven year old trotter who was tasked with competing in the Open Trot for his Spa debut which was also his first start out of the Doug Berkeley stable. Manofmanymuscles took advantage of his inside post and cut the mile in the $15,000 feature.

Beckwith gave the invader first-half fractions of 28.2 and 58.1 before facing a challenge for the first time past three-quarters in 1:27.1. Manofmanymuscles, who came into Monday’s try off a win in 1:54.4 at Dover Downs, dug in and held off late challenges from closers Comeonover Hanover (Billy Dobson) and By The Book (Jay Randall) en route to the Open victory that came in 1:57.

Owned by Doug and Leslie Berkeley, Manofmanymuscles paid $7.90 to win in the mild upset and led an exacta with Comeonover Hanover that returned $56. The triple, which came back $392, was completed by By The Book. Brett Beckwith piloted five winners on the Monday card.

Live racing continues on Tuesday afternoon with a first post of noon.

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett photo

With no Open on the Monday card at Saratoga Casino Hotel, an $11,500 race for fillies and mares served as the feature. The eight-horse field featured a few distaffers who have competed in Opens recently. American Tour N (American Ideal) won the Fillies and Mares Open on October 16^th before moving back to the claiming ranks soon thereafter.

The Brett Derue-trained mare went coast-to-coast last week (Nov 27) with Jim Mckneight Jr. in the sulky and on Monday was her race’s 8-5 betting favorite as she looked to repeat. Mckneight changed tactics with American Tour N taking her back in the early going as Open dropper HS Shauna (Phil Fluet) cut the mile.

HS Shauna and American Tour N squared off following a first half that went in just 59 seconds and the two top-flight claiming mares went toe-to-toe before American Tour N wrestled the lead away and began to impose her will late in the game. The Derue trainee powered away from her rivals to score in 1:56.1 to record her twelfth win of the season.

HS Shauna continued her big campaign finishing second for the tenth time in 2023 to go with ten victories of her own. So Diva (Chris Long) earned the show spot on Monday. American Tour N paid $5.20 to win and led an exacta and triple that came back $15.40 and $163, respectively.

The nine year old mare is owned in partnership by Steve Picarazzi of Saratoga Springs and her trainer Brett Derue of Queensbury, NY. Derue and Picarazzi scored a double on the card when their DW’s Darlene repeated in an $8,000 event for fillies and mares.

The three year old filly was guided to victory by leading driver Jimmy Devaux who piloted five winners on the twelve race card.

Live racing continues on Tuesday afternoon with a matinee that begins at noon.

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

Magical Maya A (Bettor’s Delight) made her U.S.A. debut a winning one on Monday afternoon when she scored in the feature at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Larry Stalbaum owns, trains and drives the five year old Aussie invader who used two winning qualifiers as preps for her local debut in Monday’s $15,000 Fillies and Mares Open. Stalbaum settled in early with the mare who was the public’s 4-5 betting favorite in her first Spa try before completing a quarter-move in an opening panel paced in 29 seconds.

Our Lady Lara A (Brett Beckwith) was on the lead when she was bypassed by the favorite who cruised unopposed through a half in 58.2 and three quarters in 1:26.4. With out-of-towner Laurie Lee (Jimmy Devaux) in the midst of a late rally from off the pace and Our Lady Lara A lurking in the pocket, Magical Maya A was asked to crank up the speed around the final turn and her response was instant.

The favorite reported home a length and a half winner in a mile clocked in 1:56.1 on a chilly late-November day in Saratoga Springs. Our Lady Lara A was the runner-up in the ladies’ feature while Laurie Lee finished third. The exacta in the five-horse Open paid $13.20 while the triple returned $27.

Live racing continues on Tuesday afternoon with a matinee that kicks off at noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Jessica Hallett

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York