The Tuesday feature at Saratoga Casino Hotel was a $14,875 “Pop Up Final” for young colt and gelding pacers. The race was highlighted by three horses who won last week (Apr 28) and three more who were runners-up to those three winners. On Tuesday, Hurrikane Lillouie was the overwhelming 1-9 betting favorite while drawing the rail coming off a victory by nearly ten lengths in the “qualifying” race for the Pop Up Final. Aaron Byron drove Hurrikane Lillouie who got away third in a Tuesday race that wound up with big longshots slugging it out in the early going. The favorite swung first-over after a half in 58 seconds and wound up putting away the leader heading into the final turn. Although Hurrikane Lillouie held a lead of a length and a half turning for home, he was fully extended and under heavy urging as longshots Always On Par (Chris Long) and Beantown Miki (Leon Bailey) closed in. The two-pronged attack in the stretch proved to be too much for the favorite who gave way late and had to settle for a third-place finish. Always On Par, who came into the Tuesday feature 0-12 in the win column, closed sharply from off the pace and wound up coming on to break his maiden in a mile clocked in 1:58.1. Beantown Miki accelerated quickly in the passing lane before coming up second-best to the longshot winner. Always On Par paid $63.50 to win in the upset while Beantown Miki was the runner-up at odds of 33-1. Hurrikane Lillouie had to settle for the show spot. Always On Par is trained by Ryan Nelson who co-owns the four-year-old gelding with Patrick Gregory.

Live racing resumes on Saturday at Saratoga and will feature a carryover in the early Pick Four of $3,896. The Pick Four is a $1 wager and starts in the afternoon’s second race. First post time Saturday is set for 12pm.

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett photo

Driver Aaron Byron recorded a natural hat trick on the Tuesday card at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The 41 year old reinsman called Saratoga home for the first time last year and following a top ten finish in the local driver standings in 2025, Byron has come back with a strong campaign in ’26. After piloting heavily favored Hurrikane Lillouie to a decisive score on Tuesday, Byron sat behind A Good Quest in the afternoon’s $10,750 feature. The Eve Bergeron trainee was his race’s 4-5 betting favorite as he drew the rail in the featured race for young pacers. Byron elected to sit the pocket to 98-1 shot Captain Dee Tee (Jacob Cutting) who took the field to the half in 58 seconds. A Good Quest popped the pocket and drew alongside the upset-minded leader past three quarters in 1:27.2 before imposing his will around the final turn. A Good Quest paced away to a victory of a length and three quarters, stopping the timer in 1:55.3 for his third win of the year. Byron guided his third consecutive winner on the card when he drove Marcello Hanover to victory for trainer Jordan Derue in the race following the A Good Quest score. Byron moved up to fifth in the driver standings this season behind the Tuesday hat trick.

Live racing resumes on Saturday with a first post time of 12pm.

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett photo

It has been a strong start to the 2026 racing season at Saratoga Casino Hotel for Robyn Mangiardi. The longtime local conditioner and multiple Horsewoman of the Year Award winner regularly finishes among the top dozen trainers at the Spa. This year, Mangiardi once again is among the top echelon of local conditioners and added another pair of victories to her tally on the Tuesday afternoon card. Mangiardi doubled with young trotters Shalamar Hanover and Charly Blue in $9,000 races for high-steppers on the matinee program. Shalamar Hanover came into the day with one victory on the year but had hit the board in six of his ten seasonal starts with Chris Long in the sulky. Bet down to odds of 1-5, Shalamar Hanover marched out to the early lead and never had an anxious moment going coast-to-coast en route to a 1:59 score on a chilly April afternoon in Saratoga. The Mangiardi-Long double was completed when Charly Blue cruised to a front-running score in 2:00.1 to move his local record to two-for-two after putting the swoop to the group in his first Spa start last week (April 14). Mangiardi, who owns both of her Tuesday winners, has opened up the first few months of the racing season with a training average of over .360.

Live racing resumes on Saturday with a matinee that begins at 12pm.

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett photo

Knockout Round (Sweet Lou) made his Saratoga debut a winning on Tuesday afternoon in the matinee’s featured race. Larry Stalbaum picked up the catch-drive for trainer Melissa Beckwith behind Knockout Round who romped in the qualifier that began his season. The four year old wound up being heavily backed by the betting public and went off as the 1-9 favorite in the $10,750 feature for colt and gelding pacers and Stalbaum wasted little time moving the big favorite out to the early lead. The Saratoga newbie cruised unopposed in a first lap that went in 56.4 before rattling off three quarters in 1:25.3 and padding his lead seemingly with every stride before powering away to score a decisive three and a quarter length win in 1:55.3. Knockout Round, a three-time winner in ’25, was one of two winners out of the Beckwith stable on Tuesday as young pacer Mr Mctygue set a lifetime mark in a non-winners of two race lifetime event stopping the timer in a career-best 1:58.3 with Jacob Cutting in the sulky.

Live racing resumes on Saturday at Saratoga with a matinee that begins at 12pm. There is a carryover of $10,095 in the Jackpot Super High Five.

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett photo

For the third time in 2026, Send It In Hanover won the Open Trot at Saratoga Casino Hotel on Tuesday afternoon. Jaymes McAssey has enjoyed a big first two months of the racing season at the Spa and scored another training triple on the Tuesday matinee led by his stable’s trotting star Send It In Hanover. The five year old trotter powered out to the early lead in the $16,500 feature when reinsman Kyle Swift got him to the top just after the first quarter fraction of 28 seconds was posted by defending Horse of the Year But Why (Jimmy Devaux). Send It In Hanover cleared But Why before leading the field to the half in 58.1 and never encountering an anxious moment en route to victory in 1:56.4. But Why got the pocket ride and utilized it to finish second while longshot Delayed Hanover (Jacob Cutting) closed to finish third. Send It In Hanover, who is owned by Paul O’Neil of Saratoga Springs, was winless in the local Open coming into the ’26 campaign but now owns three scores in the trotting feature as he joined Platinum As and Memorynimagination as high-steppers who have prevailed three times in the Open in the early stages of the campaign. The even-money favorite on Tuesday, Send It In Hanover gave McAssey and Swift the first of their three winners on the card as they teamed up for a victory with claiming trotter Secret Or Not, whose score was his fourth of the year, before springing an upset in the finale with Asset Station who surprised at odds of 21-1.

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

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett photo

Captain Dee Tee recorded his second win of the season in Tuesday’s featured race at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Jacob Cutting drives the four year old pacer for trainer Kendra Cutting and in Tuesday’s $10,750 feature moved Captain Dee Tee out to the early lead just one week after the pacer a difficult journey resulted in him being well-beaten as the heavy favorite. This week, Captain Dee Tee avenged that defeat by going wire-to-wire in a race that saw him have to find a second wind after falling behind briefly to a first-over bid. The Captain rallied on the rail around the final turn before drawing clear in the stretch once again and stopping the timer in 1:56.3 to prevail in the matinee’s finale by three-quarters of a length. Cutting has been on a tear in the sulky as the rising star has cemented himself among the top handful of drivers at the Spa since bursting onto the scene in 2025.

Live racing resumes on Saturday at Saratoga with a first post time set for 12pm.

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett photo

Leon Bailey recorded a driving grand slam on the Tuesday card at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Bailey, who has gotten his season off to a strong start, guided a pair of winners for trainer Amanda Bailey including one in the featured race for colt and gelding pacers. Pestcontrol (Schoolkids) stepped up in company for Tuesday’s try following a decisive victory last week in the non-winners of two race lifetime condition. Dismissed at odds of 42-1 in the $10,750 feature on Tuesday, Pestcontrol left to sit the pocket to I’m A Papi Hanover who powered out early to overcome his outside post and cut the mile. Bailey sat in the two-hole until he tugged on the right line as they reached the backstretch for the final time. When he did, Pestcontrol meant business and powered away from the competition before stopping the timer in 156.2 en route to the upset score. I’m A Papi Hanover held strong for second in the feature while Gibby (Kyle Swift) earned the show spot in his debut in the class. The score with Pestcontrol was the second on the card for the Baileys whose Star Pilot made good earlier on the day in a low-level conditional trot. Both Bailey trainees are owned by Adam Friedland of Brooklyn, NY. Leon piloted four winners in total on the eleven-race program.

Live racing resumes on Saturday with a matinee that begins at 12pm.

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett photo

Captain Dee Tee wrapped up his 2025 campaign last November with an eye-popping 1:53.4 at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Beginning his four year old season in February, Captain Dee Tee had runner-up tries in two of his first three starts in ’26 while competing in the Winners of Two but not more than Five Race Lifetime condition. On Tuesday, Jacob Cutting powered Captain Dee Tee out to the early lead in the afternoon’s $10,750 feature for pacers on a windy, cold March afternoon in the Spa City. Off at odds of 9-2, Captain Dee Tee coasted unopposed in a first half of 59 seconds and had little difficulty completing a wire-to-wire win in 1:58. Kendra Cutting trains the talented Captain Dee Tee who paid $11.40 in the Tuesday score. Cutting co-owns the feature winner with Melinda Smith. Jacob Cutting registered a grand slam on the Tuesday card as he wrapped up a big week in the sulky with a four-bagger and now sits behind only Brett Beckwith in the local driver standings in the early going of the 2026 season at Saratoga.

Live racing resumes on Saturday with a first post time set for 12pm.

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett photo

Bettor Not (Captain Crunch) came to Saratoga Casino Hotel for the first time on Tuesday afternoon and lived up to the hype as his race’s overwhelming betting favorite. Mark Ford trains the four year old gelding who made it look easy prevailing in the matinee’s $10,750 feature for young pacers. Publicly backed to odds of 1-9, Bettor Not cruised out to the early lead with Jimmy Devaux in the sulky. A twelve-time winner in 2025, Bettor Not came to the Spa with a pair of victories to his credit in ’26 and never suffered an anxious moment en route to a wire-to-wire score in 1:54.3 in the feature, a time that serves as a new seasonal mark for invader. Pocket-sitter Captain Dee Tee (Jacob Cutting) wound up as the runner-up to Bettor Not while Beanzy Fresh (Kyle Swift) finished third. Bettor Not is owned by George and Rose Bonomo of Naperville, IL.

Live racing resumes on Saturday afternoon at Saratoga with a matinee that begins at 12pm.

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett photo

Beau Bear completed a training double on Tuesday afternoon for conditioner Andy Gardner at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The young trotter recorded a pair of wins in 2025 in his first full season of racing and now just five starts into his ’26 campaign already has secured two victories. Leon Bailey is the regular driver for Beau Bear who started from post four in Tuesday’s $9,000 race for young trotters. Grabbing second-over cover approaching the half, Beau Bear wound up tipping three-wide at three quarters in pursuit of Six And Stones (Brett Beckwith) who carved up all the fractions to that point as the 9-5 second choice in the wagering. The Gardner trainee pressed the leader who eventually gave way in the stretch to Beau Bear who got up to win in 2:02.1 on a snowy March afternoon in the Spa City. Six And Stones came up second-best in his best start of the young season while longshot Pastor’s Nightmare (Irvin Crews) got up to finish third. Beau Bear’s stablemate Mass Cara prevailed earlier in the day when leading driver Brett Beckwith got the Gardner-trained mare a pocket trip in a low-level conditional race before seeing her surge in the passing lane to secure her first victory in 2026 in just her third start. Gardner has been riding a hot streak of late and will head into next weekend’s action among the top five in the trainer standings in a season which has just completed its first month.

There will be a Pick Five carryover on Saturday in the early Pick Five that begins in the afternoon’s first race. The carryover of $5,377 should yield a big pool for the Pick Five which is a 50 cent wager. First post time is set for 12pm.

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett photo