Up Helly AA (Armbro Barrister) prevailed back in February in the first Open Trot contested this season at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The Jaymes McAssey trainee raced against the track’s top trotters for a while at that point before dropping in company. Following back-to-back victories recorded in conditional races in May, Up Helly AA moved back into the Open where he finished third on June 16^th when drawing the rail. On Monday, the six year old drew the inside post once again but was dismissed at odds of 28-1 with Billy Dobson in the sulky. In a race that saw early speed result in a first quarter of 27.2 and a half in 57.1, Up Helly AA moved to the outside past three-quarters while approaching the race’s co-favorite Duke Lavictoire (Wally Hennessey) who had spent the majority of the mile parked out before clearing at the three-quarter pole. Up Helly AA cruised past Duke Lavictoire in the stretch en route to a score in 1:57.4 to record his second Open win of the year. Ramborain (Dan Daley) got away last but progressed well in the final half before coming on to finish second while Duke Lavictoire held on for third. Up Helly AA paid $58.50 to win in the upset and led an exacta and triple that returned $307.50 and $2546, respectively.  Up Helly AA is owned by Ian Fromowitz of Ontario, Canada. The Monday sulky star was Jacob Cutting who piloted a career-high six winners on the card.

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

City Of Hope sprung a mild upset in the Monday feature at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Jimmy Devaux pilots the Dave Dewhurst trainee who rode a two-race win streak into his Monday try that saw him draw post four in the $16,000 Open Trot. City Of Hope flashed early speed in his return to Open company and sat the two-hole to co-favored Passarino (Mark Beckwith). Passarino rattled off a pretty comfortable half that went in 57.4 while City Of Hope rode his coattails before popping the pocket around the final turn. The Dewhurst trainee roared home in the stretch to get the better of Passarino en route to a 1:56.2 score which was his third in a row, fourth of the year but his first in the Open this season. Passarino was the runner-up while Up Helly AA (Wally Hennessey) earned the show spot. City Of Hope gave Devaux one of the reinsman’s three victories on the card while paying $13.60 to win in the mild upset in the feature.

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

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett photo

Talking Tom (Artspeak) dropped and popped in Monday’s feature at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The Perry Simser trainee, who has spent much of his last few seasons as an Open pacer at the Spa, finished second and third, respectively, in the two starts that led up to Monday’s try in the $13,000 feature for pacers. Leon Bailey piloted Talking Tom and flashed early speed with the eight-year-old who wound up getting the pocket ride following a retake to the front by the favored Henceforth (Jay Randall). Henceforth rattled off first-half fractions of 27.1 and 56.4 before seeing his lead shrink just a bit past three quarters in 1:25. Henceforth held strong in the stretch before getting passed late by Talking Tom who stopped the timer in 1:53.3 en route to recording his first victory of the season. Henceforth finished second while Ahi Sunshine (Aaron Byron) earned the show spot. Talking Tom is owned in partnership by Dennis Nye and trainer Perry Simser.

Live racing continues on Tuesday at Saratoga with a first post set for 12pm.

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett photo

Big Box Hanover (Uncle Peter) is one of the winningest horses in the Open Trot at Saratoga Casino Hotel over the course of the last few seasons. On Monday afternoon, the Larry Stalbaum trainee added another victory to his tally when he overcame post eight to prevail for the second consecutive week. Billy Dobson catch-drove Big Box Hanover who raced parked out throughout the mile in the $16,000 feature for trotters. The eight-year-old veteran won for the fourth time of the season and third time in the local Open when he toughed it out overland to score in 1:56.1. Big Box Hanover, who is owned by his trainer Larry Stalbaum, paid $23.40 to win in the upset. Wania (Jimmy Devaux) closed to be second to Big Box Hanover on Monday while Four Sixes (Mark Beckwith) held on to be third.

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

Big Box Hanover has been a force among local trotters for the last few years at Saratoga Casino Hotel. On Monday, the eight year old was tasked with overcoming post position six in the Open Trot at the Spa. Matt Athearn drove the Larry Stalbaum trainee who got away sixth in the early going and was almost nine lengths off the lead in the first quarter of the $16,000 featured race. The race’s leader set fast fractions of 27 and 56.4 in the first half as Big Box Hanover grabbed the cover of Remember Titans (Aaron Byron) who struck the lead past three quarters in 1:25.3. Big Box Hanover tipped off the cover turning for home before coming on to best the featured field in 1:56. It was the second consecutive day in which a Stalbaum trainee won a local Open as his Mr Mclaren N prevailed in Sunday’s Open Pace. Big Box Hanover paid $7.80 to win in a victory that resulted in his career earnings move just dollars shy of the $800,000 mark. Remember Titans was the runner-up while the favorite Passarino (Jacob Cutting) earned the show spot. Stalbaum owns Big Box Hanover whose win was his third of the season and the 55^th in his career.

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett photo

It’s been an incredible season at Saratoga Casino Hotel for trainer Melissa Beckwith and on Monday afternoon, the track’s leading trainer added five more wins to her bulky seasonal total. Beckwith’s Platinum As (E L Titan) was the star of the day as the seven-year-old trotter overcame post position eight to win the feature. Wally Hennessey sat behind Platinum As as the veteran made his second local start following a victory in last week’s Open Trot. Hennessey floated Platinum As out from his outside post and raced him parked the mile in the $16,000 feature for highsteppers. In a race in which longshots led the way and took the featured trotters through a first quarter in 27.2 and half in 57.4, 9-5 second choice in the wagering Big Box Hanover (Larry Stalbaum) battled first-over. He wore down the leader to briefly take the lead turning for home but when they hit the straightaway, Platinum As had one more burst of speed to him and wound up prevailing in 1:56.2 to overcome the overland journey to prevail for the second consecutive week in the Open. Big Box Hanover was the runner-up while longshot Wania (Billy Dobson) got up to finish third. Platinum As paid $7.40 to win and led an exacta and triple that returned $20.20 and $215.50 (on $2 wagers), respectively. The winner is owned by Fac Racing Inc, Brett Beckwith and Yannick Gingras. Jimmy Devaux was the sulky star of the day as the veteran reinsman piloted six winners on the matinee card.

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

Cantab My Party lengthened his win streak on Monday afternoon when the Monica Krist trainee scored the biggest win of his career at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The four year old trotter was winless in 2024 but has been like a new horse in ’25 and won for the sixth consecutive start in Monday’s $33,000 Final of the John Mongeon Memorial Trotting Series. Cantab My Party prevailed in all three legs of the series leading up to a Monday Final that saw him power out to the early lead in front of driver Billy Dobson. Traveling unopposed through a first half in 59.3, Cantab My Party, who was a 4-5 shot in the Final, was met with the challenge of 3-5 favorite Steven Goldstein (Brett Crawford) late in the mile but that one’s chase was futile. Cantab My Party lengthened his win streak to six while going coast-to-coast in a lifetime best 1:58. Steven Goldstein, who secured two wins and a second-place finish in the series’ legs, ran second in the Final while longshot Bluebird Ramona (Brian Cross) closed to be third. Rick Dobson owns Cantab My Party who became the twelfth winner in the history of the John Mongeon Memorial that began in 2013.

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

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett photo

Comeonover Hanover secured his first Open Trot victory of the season at Saratoga Casino Hotel on Monday afternoon as the Andy Gardner went wire-to-wire to spring the mild upset. Leon Bailey sat behind Comeonover Hanover who moved out to the early lead over a sloppy track in Monday’s $16,000 feature at the Spa. The seven year old moved quickly through a first quarter of 27.3 before getting a breather and backing things down to a half in 58 seconds. Comeonover Hanover battled the race’s favorite Delayed Hanover (Wally Hennessey) throughout the second half but rebuffed that one once and for all around the final turn before scoring in 1:57. Delayed Hanover, who was a beaten favorite for the fifth consecutive start, was a strong second to Comeonover Hanover while City Of Hope (Jimmy Devaux) earned the show spot. Comeonover Hanover, who paid $12 to win, is owned by Percy Elkins of Ontario, Canada.

Live racing continues on Tuesday afternoon at Saratoga with a matinee set to begin at 12pm.

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett photo

But Why (Crazy Wow) continued his breakout season at Saratoga Casino Hotel on Monday when the Scott Mongeon trainee won the Open Trot for the second time. The four year old joined the Mongeon stable last season following a summer that saw him compete in the Excelsior Series as part of the New York Sire Stakes. But Why enjoyed some success last year but the early portion of the 2025 campaign has brought upon massive results for the most recent trotting star to come out of the Mongeon barn.

But Why debuted in the local Open on April 14^th while already a four-time winner in ’25. The gelding pulled off a mild upset in his first start in the trotting feature as driver Jacob Cutting piloted him to a mild upset at odds of 5-1. Following a strong-closing fourth place finish last week, But Why drew the rail for Monday’s try in the $16,000 Open. Cutting got a two-hole trip for But Why who as the second-choice in the wagering at odds of 2-1 sat the pocket to Delayed Hanover (Wally Hennessey) before powering past the favorite in the stretch to score in 1:55.1. The win time marked a new lifetime-best for But Why whose victory was his sixth in ten seasonal starts. Delayed Hanover was the runner-up while Busting With Pride (Billy Dobson) earned the show spot. Mongeon, who trained 2024 Trotter and Horse of the Year By The Book, has another upper echelon high-stepper in his stable who is now becoming a fixture in the Open.

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

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett

Lanjo Lee became the second pacer to win the Open four times this season at Saratoga Casino Hotel when on Monday afternoon, the Jeff Sorenson trainee recorded an impressive victory in the feature. Lanjo Lee has done most of his best work from off the pace in his time at the Spa but in Monday’s installment of the $16,000 Open Pace, the six year old son of So Surreal flashed speed to make the early lead with reinsman Leon Bailey at the controls. The 7-5 betting favorite rolled unopposed through a first quarter in 27.3 and a half in 57.1 before being pressured by Mr Mclaren N (Larry Stalbaum) who was making his U.S. debut. Those two talented pacers slugged it out for close to a half mile before Lanjo Lee went pedal to the metal and powered away to win the feature by two and a quarter lengths. The final time in the Open was 1:52.4 which is the fastest clocking for any horse at Saratoga in the 2025 campaign. Lanjo Lee is owned by Gordon Swift. Longshot Pirate Hanover (Aaron Byron) closed to be the runner-up to Lanjo Lee while Mr Mclaren N earned the show spot in his first local try. Lanjo Lee’s win in the Open was his fourth on the year matching The Good Doctor for most of any pacer in ’25.

Live racing continues on Tuesday with a trotting-filled card set to begin at 12pm.