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.

Veteran trotter Dewey Arnold reached a career milestone on Monday afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The seven-year-old high-stepper eclipsed a half million dollars in career earnings behind his Monday score with Jimmy Devaux at the controls. Dave Dewhurst has trained Dewey Arnold since his early days and co-owns the superstar with Philip Hale. A New York Sire Stakes stalwart in his younger days, Dewey Arnold transformed into an Open trotter at the conclusion of the stakes portion of his career and thrived in that role as well. On Monday, Dewey Arnold competed in a $7,700 conditional race at the Spa where Devaux powered him out to the early lead, a lead he would never relinquish. The speedy trotter recorded his 36^th career victory by stopping the timer in 1:58.3 on the matinee card. The earnings from the win boosted the lifetime bankroll to over the $500,000 mark for the longtime Dewhurst stable star. Dewey Arnold was the 6-5 betting favorite in his Monday win. Devaux made three trips to the winner’s circle on the Monday card although the matinee’s sulky star was Brett Beckwith who continues to have an eye-popping season at the Spa. The young reinsman piloted eight winners on Monday to match the all-time track record for wins by a driver on a card.

Live racing continues on Tuesday at the Spa with a Noon start to the matinee.

Trainer Andrew Adamczyk has been on a tear to start his season locally at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The out-of-town conditioner has been winning at a high rate in his first nearly twenty starts in the first month of the season at the Spa. On Monday, his Mon Amour (Muscle Hill) debuted in the local Open Trot. Mon Amour prevailed last week (Mar 3) behind a first-over journey which saw him score in the conditional ranks. In the $15,000 Monday feature, Billy Dobson once again sat behind the seven-year-old invader who got a cover-trip in his Open debut. After the race’s leader tired, the outer tier thrived which meant Mon Amour had his chance to tip off cover and storm home in the stretch. The Adamczyk trainee charged hard in the final strides to come on to win by a head in a 1:58 mile. Mon Amour was 11-1 as the veteran scored the Open upset on Monday. Longshot Deadline Hall (Aaron Byron) came from a long way back to finish second at odds of 22-1 while a first-over Malibu Kid (Matt Athearn) held on to be third. Mon Amour is owned by Morrison Racing Stables of PA who has secured several Open wins on the young season at Saratoga as their The Good Doctor has become a force in the Sunday Open Pace in the early portion of the ’25 campaign. Adamczyk has recorded twelve wins in his nineteen starts at the Spa thus far this season.

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

Bluffinner (Credit Winner) was one of the top trotters at Saratoga Casino Hotel in 2024. The veteran highstepper enjoyed a nine-win campaign that saw him earn close to $90,000. Jordan Derue trains, drives and co-owns Bluffinner who began his eight year old campaign with back-to-back fourth place finishes before his Monday try that saw him go off at odds of 5-1 in the $15,000 Open Trot. Derue moved his top trotter out to the lead, a lead he would never look back from. Bluffinner stopped the timer in a modest 1:59.2 on a slightly warmer afternoon in Saratoga. The Derue trainee paid $13.40 to win in the mild upset. City Of Hope (Jimmy Devaux) sat the pocket to finish second while defending Horse of the Year By The Book (Jay Randall) closed to earn the show spot in his first start of ’25. Bluffinner is co-owned by Derue and FBP Racing Stable.

Live racing continues on Tuesday with a first post time of 12pm. There will be a Pick Five carryover of $3,722 starting in the matinee’s first race.

Lanjo Lee (So Surreal) was dismissed at odds of 13-1 despite being installed as the 5-2 morning line favorite in Monday’s Open Pace at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The six-year-old who faded to sixth in his seasonal return last week (Feb 2), wound up first-over in Monday’s installment of the $15,000 Open. Young reinsman Jacob Cutting got the catch-drive behind the Jeff Sorenson trainee who overpowered a tiring leader approaching the three-quarter pole before drawing away to an insurmountable lead. Lanjo Lee checked in as a three and a half-length winner on Monday in a mile clocked in 1:54.4. Last week’s Open winner The Good Doctor (Brett Beckwith) came from well off the pace to be the runner-up to Lanjo Lee while the race’s favorite Rocknroll Runa A (Matt Athearn) earned the show spot. Lanjo Lee, who is owned by Gordon Swift of Bath, NY, paid $28 to win in the upset and led an exacta and triple that returned $136 and $466 (on $2 wagers).

Live racing continues on Tuesday afternoon with a matinee set to begin at 12pm. There will be a Pick Five carryover of $3,779 beginning in the card’s first race.

For the second consecutive afternoon, trainer Jaymes McAssey recorded an Open victory at Saratoga Casino Hotel. In the Sunday matinee feature, McAssey’s The Good Doctor scored his first ever Open win. On Monday, Up Helly AA (Armbro Barrister) made his return to the Spa following a three-race stint out of town this winter. The six-year-old trotter prevailed in the Batavia Open on 1/23 and subsequently was the 9-5 betting favorite in the first Open of the season contested at the Spa. Shawn Gray piloted Up Helly AA who raced parked to the opening quarter in 28.2 before clearing the around the paddock turn and coasting through a first half in 58.3. Feeling pressure from Bluffinner (Jordan Derue), a winner of back-to-back Opens to wrap up the ’24 campaign, Up Helly AA stood up to the challenge and rebuffed that rival before holding off Malibu Kid (Matt Athearn) in the stretch to score in 1:57. Malibu Kid was the runner-up while Remember Titans (Brett Beckwith) came from a long way back to be third. Up Helly AA, who is owned by Ian Fromowitz, paid $5.60 to win to complete the back-to-back Open scores during opening week for McAssey, who like Sunday, recorded a pair of victories on the Monday card.

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

Alittlesidehustl N won her fifth Fillies and Mares Open on this season when on Monday afternoon, the Jackie Greene trainee went coast-to-coast in the afternoon’s feature. Alittlesidehustl N was guided out to the lead from her outside post in the seven-horse ladies’ Open by reinsman Billy Dobson who gave her fractions of 28.1 and 57.1 in lap one. The talented distaffer never faced much of a challenge in the second half en route to her fifth Open score of the 2024 campaign. Alittlesidehustl N stopped the timer in 1:55.3 over a track labeled ‘good’ in a race that saw her pay $6.20 to win as the co-favorite in the feature. 26-1 longshot Truly (Jimmy Devaux) closed to be second in the $15,000 Open while Waitforever N (Brett Beckwith) came from a long ways back to finish third. Alittlesidehustl N is one of three nominees for the track’s Filly and Mare Pacer of the Year Award following her five-win campaign in a season that saw her earn just shy of $100,000 to date. The six year old is owned by Kellogg Racing and Jackie Greene Stables of NY. Greene scored a training double on Monday when her Sweeter Than Lou pulled off an upset in the finale wiring the field in 1:59.4 at odds of 22-1 in a $9,500 conditional race for fillies and mares. Jimmy Devaux piloted Sweeter Than Lou to her longshot victory.

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett photo

It was another big afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel on Monday for Hall of Fame driver Wally Hennessey. The veteran reinsman piloted seven winners on the card including a score in the afternoon’s feature. Hennessey sat behind the 1-9 betting favorite in the $15,000 Fillies and Mares Open on Monday for trainer Mark Beckwith as Arizona looked to threepeat while returning to town off a career-best score.

Arizona drew post position six in the six-horse ladies’ Open and Hennessey situated her fourth in the early going. The fractions were fierce in the feature and while Magical Maya A (Brian Cross) traveled unopposed, she did so behind a 27.2 first quarter and a 55.4 half. Arizona made her move past the half and just unloaded on the competition, pacing into an insurmountable lead heading towards the three-quarter pole.

Wally Hennessey was just a passenger as Arizona powered away from her rivals to win by a commanding three lengths, stopping the timer in 1:52.4. Alittlesidehustl N (Billy Dobson) came on to finish a clear second while Magical Maya A wound up a well-beaten third place finisher. Arizona won for the second consecutive time in the local feature and seventh time of the season overall. The five year old distaffer is owned by Wendy Timpano of Ontario, Canada.

Hennessey made seven trips to the winner’s circle today, three of them coming with Beckwith trainees. Veteran pacing mare Bronze Over N went coast-to-coast in a $9,000 claiming event for pacing mares while young trotter Disco Wiz recorded his fifth victory of the season cruising to his third consecutive score.

Live racing resumes on Saturday evening with a 5pm first post.

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett photo

Two year old trotting colts and geldings as part of the New York Sire Stakes were featured on Monday afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Trainer/driver Ake Svanstedt swept the two $77,000+ NY Sire Stakes divisions for freshman trotters as his Mr Mouton scored as his race’s big favorite while Gangsta Talk pulled off the upset for the Svanstedt stable. Mr Mouton, a two year old colt by Chapter Seven out of the Father Patrick mare Burberry, made his lifetime debut off a winning qualifier at the Meadowlands.

Svanstedt moved Mr Mouton out to the early lead on Monday and the freshman held firm every step of the way before reporting home in 1:57.3 for the victory in the $78,700 division of the NY Sire Stakes. Super Chapter (Dexter Dunn) rode the coattails of the winner throughout the mile before finishing second while Karinchak (Mark Macdonald) earned the show spot in the fastest Sire Stakes race of the day.

Svanstedt doubled when Gangsta Talk (Chapter Seven-Gangsta Rat-Muscle Hill) sprung the upset in his $77,300 NY Sire Stakes event. The first-time starter drew post seven in a seven-horse stakes try which saw her power up to the lead in the early going before going coast-to-coast in 1:58.4 while dismissed at odds of 12-1. Global Sensation (Dexter Dunn) was the runner-up to the longshot winner while the favored Civilian Drone (Brett Beckwith) had to settle for third.

Live racing resumes on Saturday night at Saratoga with a 5pm first post.

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

Clover continued her terrific season on Monday afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel when she overcame her outside post to prevail in the Fillies and Mares Open. The Mark Beckwith trainee returned to town just two weeks after setting a career-best 1:50.4 victory at Plainridge Park and drew post seven in the seven-horse feature.

Clover, a six year old daughter of Sportswriter, sat well off the pace in a first half that went in a fast 55.4 before reinsman Wally Hennessey cut the 3-5 betting favorite loose heading towards the three-quarter pole. Clover wound up putting the swoop to the group in resounding fashion to win for the eighth time in eighteen seasonal tries stopping the timer in 1:53.3 for the Open score. For Beckwith and Hennessey, it was their second consecutive victory in the Fillies and Mares Open as that tandem combined for a win with distaffer Arizona in the June 10^th installment of the $15,000 ladies’ feature.

Magical Maya A (Brian Cross) came from a long way back to finish second in the Open to complete a $18.60 exacta while Ashestodiamonds (Brett Crawford) rounded out a $133.50 triple. Clover is owned by Howard Jacobs of West Orange, NJ. Hennessey piloted three winners on the Monday card while Beckwith scored a training double.

Live racing resumes on Saturday evening at Saratoga with a 5pm first post.

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York