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

Dealin With Dewey (Wheeling N Dealin) sprung a mild upset in the Monday feature at Saratoga Casino Hotel when the Sara Baillargeon trainee went coast-to-coast to win the Open Trot. Aaron Byron sat behind the seven year old who has Open experience at the Spa and doled out early speed in his try in the $18,500 feature. Dealin With Dewey cruised through a first half in 58.1 on a cold Monday afternoon in the Spa City before being confronted by the race’s favorite Immigrant Am S (Leon Bailey) who wound up toughing it out first-over. Dealin With Dewey rebuffed the challenge from Immigrant Am S around the final turn and when Byron asked the leader to crank up the speed, the response was instant. Dealin With Dewey trotted away to win by a commanding four lengths on the wire in a mile clocked in 1:57. Immigrant Am S wound up as the runner-up for the fourth straight week in the Open while But Why (Jimmy Devaux) closed from last to finish third. Dealin With Dewey went off at odds of 6-1 in his first local Open score of the season which was his eleventh win overall on the campaign.

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett photo

Up Helly AA has put together a strong season at Saratoga Casino Hotel in 2025 and on Monday afternoon, the veteran trotter secured his fourth Open Trot victory of the year. Chris Long pilots Up Helly AA for trainer Jaymes McAssey, who had three winners on the matinee card. Long moved Up Helly AA out in the early going and landed him in the pocket behind the race’s co-favorite who cruised through a fast first half that went in 56.1. Heading to the three-quarter pole, Long was ready to roll and pulled the six-year-old gelding out of the two-hole before pouncing on the tiring leader and taking command just past three quarters that went in 1:25.3. Dismissed at odds of 9-1, Up Helly AA extended his lead around the final turn, and the chase was on. Rivals Immigrant Am S (Leon Bailey) and Platinum As (Jacob Cutting) closed quickly but they proved way too late to get to Up Helly AA who stopped the timer in 1:56 for his fourth Open Trot victory of the year and ninth win overall in ’25. Immigrant Am S was the runner-up in the feature for the third consecutive week while Platinum As rallied after making a break to finish third in the $18,500 Open for high-steppers. Up Helly AA gave his trainer one of his three winners on the day as McAssey’s Champain and Noble Wine each registered their third consecutive victories on the Monday card.

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett photo

But Why is strongly making his case to be the Horse of the Year at Saratoga Casino Hotel as the Scott Mongeon-trained trotter won for the fourteenth time in 2025 when on Monday afternoon, the four year old  scored in the Open Trot once again. But Why prevailed on the engine in Monday’s installment of the $18,500 Open when he moved out to the early lead and held strong en route to a 1:56 victory. The race’s 6-5 betting favorite cruised quickly through a first half in 56.2 and never faced an anxious moment before dealing with pocket-sitting rival Immigrant Am S (Leon Bailey). That one came up second-best to But Why while Up Helly AA (Chris Long) earned the show spot. But Why’s win was his seventh in the local Open this year and fourteenth in what will likely be an award-winning ’25 campaign for the Mongeon trainee. Jimmy Devaux piloted But Why to his second consecutive score in the Open for trotters.

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