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.

But Why (Crazy Wow) made his debut in the Open Trot on Monday at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The Scott Mongeon-trained trotter rode a three-race win streak into a try in the $16,000 Open that saw him draw post position two in the six-horse feature. Driver Jacob Cutting situated But Why third in the early going chasing veteran Dewey Arnold (Jimmy Devaux) who carved out the fractions in the feature. Cutting moved But Why to the outside approaching three quarters as the four year old took dead aim on Dewey Arnold before squaring off in a nip-and-tuck battle in the around the final turn. But Why began to impose his will late and came on to win by a half length in 1:56.4. Dewey Arnold was a solid second while In A Tiny Way (Aaron Byron) earned the show spot. Despite being the morning line favorite, But Why paid $13.80 to win in the feature. For trainer Scott Mongeon, it was the second Open Trot score of the young season as his By The Book bested the group of top high-steppers on March 31 to register his first Open win of 2025 after being named Horse of the Year at the Spa in ’24. But Why, who now owns five victories in eight seasonal tries, is owned by Steve and Laura Stewart.

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett photo

Busting With Pride (Resolve) surged in the stretch on Monday to record his second Open Trot victory of the season at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Jackie Greene trains the five year old who secured his third win in five seasonal tries when he outtrotted the race’s favorites home. Busting With Pride won the local Open on March 17^th and after drawing outside last Monday (March 31), drew post five for his try in Monday’s $16,000 feature at the Spa. Billy Dobson piloted Busting With Pride and got him away third behind the race’s top two choices in the wagering in a mile that saw fractions of 28, 57.2 and 1:27.2 heading into the final turn. At that point, Dobson made his move with the Greene trainee who powered past his rivals before stopping the timer in 1:57.1 to upset at odds of 8-1. Busting With Pride paid $19.60 to win. Passarino (Brett Beckwith) was the runner-up to Busting With Pride while By The Book (Jay Randall) closed to finish third. The Open winner is owned by Kellogg Racing and Jackie Greene Stables. Greene had a pair of victories on the card as her Kinnder Hotblood (Kadabra) overcame post eight to prevail in her local debut in an $11,500 race for trotters with Brett Beckwith at the controls. Beckwith tallied five winners on the Monday card.

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

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett photo

The defending Horse of the Year at Saratoga Casino Hotel got into the win column for the first time in 2025 on Monday. By The Book (Chapter Seven) enjoyed a six-figure ’24 campaign and subsequently was named both Trotter of the Year and Horse of the Year at the track. The Scott Mongeon-trained six-year-old began his season as a beaten favorite in his four starts but did secure a pair of second-place finishes heading into Monday’s try in the $15,000 Open Trot. Jay Randall sat behind By The Book in his award-winning campaign and has done so thus far in ’25. In Monday’s feature, Randall didn’t stop until By The Book reached the top and once the standout trotter got there, he would never look back. By The Book stopped the timer in 1:57 to secure his first victory of the year besting the favored Delayed Hanover (Matt Athearn) who was the runner-up. Ikon Vang DK (Brett Beckwith) earned the show spot in his Open debut. By The Book, who is owned in partnership by Harrison, Barthelmas and Murray, paid $16.40 in the mild upset. With the earnings from his Monday score, the high-stepper moved his career bankroll to over the $300,000 mark. Mongeon scored a training double when his But Why secured his third consecutive victory coming from off the pace to score in a $12,500 trotting event with young reinsman Jacob Cutting in the sulky.

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