Trainer-driver Larry Stalbaum won the Saturday night feature at Saratoga Casino Hotel with his Heaven On High N. On Sunday, Stalbaum saw his Malibu Kid (Wishing Stone) start from post position five in the $15,000 Open Trot while looking to have his trainees win back-to-back Opens. Malibu Kid came into Sunday’s try with just one win in 2024, although the victory did come in the local Open back in February.

The six year old high-stepper has been a solid factor in the regular Sunday feature over the course of the last few months and finished second or third in five of his six starts leading up to this weekend’s try. Stalbaum made an early move with Malibu Kid who made it to the top before rattling off matching panels of 29.1 in lap one en route to clicking off a half in 58.2.

The leader never faced a challenge until the race’s favorite Remember Titans (Brett Beckwith) revved up his motor late in the mile and powered up while looking to confront Malibu Kid. The pursuit proved to be futile as the Stalbaum trainee dug in and rebuffed the favorite en route to a 1:56.4 score.

Remember Titans, the 8-5 betting favorite in the feature, came up second-best while longshot Wishing Barefoot (Brian Cross) earned the show spot. Malibu Kid paid $8.70 to win and led an exacta and triple that returned $25.60 and $78.50, respectively.

Stalbaum’s victory in the Open Trot is his second in June as his Big Box Hanover prevailed in a Sunday feature earlier in the month. Both Malibu Kid and the Saturday Open winner Heaven On High N are owned by the Shark Racing Stable of Bainbridge, NY.

Live racing continues at Saratoga on Monday afternoon when there will be a 17-race matinee featuring the NY Sire Stakes for two year old trotting colts and geldings. First post time for Monday is set for noon.

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

In what has been a dominant first two months to the racing season for Brett Beckwith, the young reinsman added another five-win day to his tally on Sunday afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The 21 year old Beckwith is taking a run at his first driving title and if the early portion of the season is a big-time indicator, he could be en route to an historic 2024 campaign.

Brett Beckwith followed up a five-win Saturday card with another one on Sunday. Included in his big afternoon were four consecutive victories on the day including one in the featured Open Trot when Beckwith piloted the Jackie Greene-trained Snowpiercer. The four year old trotter by Muscle Man made his first career start in the Open last week (April 1) when he finished third in the $15,000 feature. In Sunday’s installment of the Open, Beckwith found early placing for Snowpiercer in third after leaving from post position six.

From there, the young trotter saved ground on the rail throughout and when the rail opened up, Snowpiercer surged in the stretch to come on and win by a neck in a mile clocked in 1:57.1. The upset came at odds of 11-1 for Snowpiercer who gave Beckwith his third of what would be five winners on the matinee card.

9-5 betting favorite Discus Hanover (Jimmy Devaux) was the runner-up to Snowpiercer in the feature while Summit City Sonny (Matt Athearn), last week’s Open winner, earned the show spot on Sunday. Snowpiercer led an exacta and triple that paid $92.50 and $387, respectively. The Open winner is owned by Janie Kellogg of Fort Ann, NY.

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

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett photo

By The Book (Chapter Seven) continues to establish himself as the top Open trotter at Saratoga Casino Hotel this season. On Sunday afternoon, the five year old completed a training double for Scott Mongeon who earlier in the day saw his Cherry Mason set a new lifetime mark in a conditional race for trotters.

By The Book drew post eight for his try in the $15,000 Open Trot and driver Jay Randall took the 2-1 betting favorite back at the start. The patience didn’t last long as the veteran reinsman made an early move in the backstretch with By The Book who went from last to first by the time the field made its way around the paddock turn for the first time.

After settling in on the front-end, By The Book was confronted by a first-over rival whose bid was thwarted after By The Book clicked off three-quarters in 1:28. Randall then asked the favorite for his best and the talented high-stepper powered away from his rivals to win by more than four lengths in a mile clocked in 1:57.3.

By The Book became the first trotter to win the Open three times thus far this season. On Sunday, the longest shot on the board Powerscourt (Mickey McGivern) finished second at odds of 40-1 to complete a hefty $307 exacta while Comeonover Hanover (Billy Dobson) continued his stretch of being a weekly factor in the Open by finishing third once again.

The triple paid $1,081 for a $2 wager. By The Book is owned by the team of Harrison, Barthelmas and Murray, all of New York.

Live racing continues on Monday afternoon with a matinee that has a noon first post and features a carryover of $18,837 for the Jackpot Super High 5.

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett photo

Discus Hanover (Credit Winner) became the first two-time winner in the Open Trot this season at Saratoga as the Dave Dewhurst trainee went coast-to-coast in Sunday’s $15,000 feature. Jimmy Devaux sat behind the seven year old who cruised unopposed through a first half of 58 seconds before hanging tough in the stretch to prevail in 1:56.3. Free Willy Hanover (Chris Long) closed to be second in his first try in the local Open while Summit City Sonny (Leon Bailey) earned the show spot.

Discus Hanover’s win was his second of 2024, a year in which he has already recorded a pair of wins and a pair of second-place finishes. On Sunday, Discus Hanover paid $13.80 to win in the mild upset. The Open winner is owned in partnership by Philip Hale and trainer Dave Dewhurst.

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

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett photo

By The Book (Chapter Seven) won his first career Open Trot on closing weekend of the 2023 meet at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The Scott Mongeon trainee went coast-to-coast to wrap up his ’23 campaign before taking the winter off. On February 12^th, the five-year-old made his return to the track with a strong closing third-place finish.

Jay Randall has been the regular reinsman for By The Book and in Sunday’s $15,000 feature, Randall moved the even-money favorite out to the early lead. The talented high-stepper enjoyed a hassle-free first half that went in 59.1 and looked comfortable every step of the way before reporting home a length and a quarter winner.

By The Book stopped the timer in 1:57.2 for his second victory in the local feature since coming to town last year. Longshot Malibu Kid (Larry Stalbaum) closed to finish second while City Of Hope (Jimmy Devaux) earned the show spot. By The Book is owned in partnership by Harrison, Barthelmas and Murray.

Live racing continues on Monday afternoon with a matinee set to begin at noon.

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett photo

The 2023 racing season reached its conclusion on Sunday afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel. In the year’s final feature, By The Book (Chapter Seven) was bet down as the race’s even money favorite. The Scott Mongeon trainee won the Open Trot at Plainridge Park last month and following a third place finish in the local Open last week was the public’s top choice on Sunday.

Jay Randall pilots By The Book who displayed early speed in the final installment of the $15,000 Open for the ’23 campaign to make the lead in a 28 second first quarter. Randall gave the favorite a nice breather in the middle half clicking off three quarters in 1:28 following a 30.1 second quarter breather.

The eight horses in the feature were separated by only four lengths at the three quarter pole but By The Book would not be denied fending off a pair of late challenges to score in 1:57.2. Invader Golden Kronos (Jimmy Devaux) toughed out a first-over journey and finished a strong second while Duckdodgendive (Billy Dobson) earned the show spot after sitting the pocket to the favored winner.

By The Book, who is owned by Harrison, Barthelmas and Murray of NY, paid $4.30 to win and led an exacta and triple that returned $19.20 and $111, respectively. The four year old wrapped up his season with nine wins and over $88,000 in earnings.

The 2023 racing season at Saratoga is complete with the ’24 campaign set to begin on February 3^rd.

Mike Sardella

Jessica Hallett Photo

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City Of Hope (Met’s Hall) sprung the upset in Sunday’s feature at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The Dave Dewhurst-trained trotter is in the midst of a breakout season in which he came into the day with earnings of over $130,000. The three year old raced in the local Open Trot for the first time last Sunday (Nov 5) but faded late after cutting the mile in the $15,000 feature.

This week, driver Jimmy Devaux got a pocket trip for City Of Hope who rode the coattails of millionaire trotter Cash Me Out (Mitch Cushing) who cut the mile in the feature. With the top few betting choices never factoring, longshots Cash Me Out and City Of Hope slugged it out late getting joined in the stretch by Bluffinner (Jordan Derue). At the wire, it was City Of Hope emerging victorious springing the upset at odds of 12-1. The veteran Cash Me Out finished second while Bluffinner earned the show spot.

City Of Hope paid $27.60 to win in the feature and led an exacta and triple that returned $160 and $569, respectively. Trainer Dave Dewhurst co-owns the young trotter with Philip Hale of Utica, NY. The victory was number fourteen for City Of Hope in his breakout sophomore campaign.

Live racing continues on Monday afternoon with a first post time set for noon.

Mike Sardella

Jessica Hallett photo

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

For the second consecutive week at Saratoga Casino Hotel, Pay Me To Knight reigned supreme going last to first in the Open Trot. Doug Maura trains and drives the five year old who is in the midst of a sensational season at the Spa. Pay Me To Knight got away eighth in the eight-horse Open on Sunday and although the fractions were fast, coming from last appeared that it would be a daunting task. Maura gave Pay Me To Knight his cue heading to the three-quarter pole and just wheeled him four-wide around the final turn.

Picking off his rivals one by one in the stretch, Pay Me To Knight charged past the field to win a photo in a mile clocked in 1:57.2. Last Sunday (Oct 29), Maura’s rising star was dismissed at odds of 14-1 when he won the Open for the second time this season. This week, Pay Me To Knight paid $18 to win in yet another upset.

Yucatan Party Man (Billy Dobson) finished second in the $15,000 feature while By The Book (Jay Randall) earned the show spot. The exacta and triple returned $91 and $273, respectively. Pay Me To Knight, who is owned by Louis Maura of Schenectady, NY, now owns three Open wins this season.

Live racing continues on Monday afternoon.

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York