Tag: Harness Racing Tuesday
Saratoga Harness Racing Recap – Tuesday 3/3
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
TH Kay C Crunch utilized a powerful first-over surge to secure his first victory of the season in Tuesday’s featured race at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Trainer Jimmy Nickerson won Monday’s feature when his Memorynimagination went last to first to score in the $16,500 Open Trot. With no Open on the docket on Tuesday, a $10,750 pace for colts and geldings served as the feature. Nickerson’s TH Kay C Crunch was heavily backed by the betting public to the tune of odds of 2-5 while coming off a strong try when he closed from off the pace to finish third. Matt Athearn picked up the catch-drive behind TH Kay C Crunch and was patient in the early going with the four year old. Taking back at the start, TH Kay C Crunch made his move first-over on leader Captain Dee Tee (Jacob Cutting) who was in the midst of his seasonal debut after wrapping up his 2025 campaign with an eye-popping 1:53.4 upset score. Captain Dee Tee was up to the task but got pushed to the limit by TH Kay C Crunch who eventually willed the leader into submission at the head of the stretch before coming on to win in 1:57.3. Captain Dee Tee was a strong second to the 2-5 betting favorite while longshot Slafko (Chris Long) came on to finish third.
Live racing resumes on Saturday at Saratoga with a matinee that begins at 12pm. There is a $5,022 carryover in the Jackpot Super High Five.
Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY
Jessica Hallett photo
Saratoga Harness Racing Recap – Tuesday 2/17
Devil’s Wish has gotten his season off to a strong start at Saratoga Casino Hotel and on Tuesday afternoon, the young pacer sprung a mild upset. Drawing post eight for his try in the $10,750 Tuesday feature, Devil’s Wish flashed early speed to overcome his outside post. Fresh off a victory in which the Dave Dewhurst-owned and trained four-year-old prevailed from the rail, Devil’s Wish powered out to the lead in a 28.1 first quarter. Driver Chris Long backed it down a bit with Devil’s Wish who reached the half in 58.1 before feeling just mild pressure past three quarters in 1:26.4. The four-year-old son of Mcwicked held strong in the stretch to prevail in 1:56.1 while dismissed at odds of 8-1. Longshot Pestcontrol (Leon Bailey) sat the pocket to the winner and wound up as the runner-up while the favored Th Kay C Crunch (Jacob Cutting) came from a long way back to finish third. Devil’s Wish, who joined the stable of Dave Dewhurst in January, now has two second-place finishes and a pair of victories to his credit in just four local starts. Dewhurst owns Devil’s Wish.
Live racing resumes on Saturday afternoon at Saratoga featuring an early Pick 5 carryover of $3,875 and an early Pick Four carryover of $1,636. First post time is 12pm.
Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY
Jessica Hallett photo
Saratoga Harness Racing Recap – Tuesday 2/10
Platinum As (E L Titan) scored a decisive victory in Tuesday’s Open Trot at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Brett Beckwith pilots the eight year old who enjoyed a monster 2025 campaign and began his ’26 season with a try from post eight last week (Feb 3). On Tuesday, Platinum As got away in mid-pack in the $16,500 feature but in the second lap began to steadily gain on leader Up Helly Aa (Chris Long), last week’s Open winner. Up Helly Aa carved out first-half fractions of 28 and 57.2 before opening up a three-length lead at the three-quarter pole. Platinum As, the race’s 1-2 betting favorite, picked off horses one by one before confronting the upset-minded Up Helly Aa at the top of the stretch and surging by in the lane. The Melissa Beckwith trainee, who was a ten-time winner last season, stopped the timer in 1:56.2 to record his first score of the year on Tuesday. Up Helly Aa was a strong second at odds of 16-1 while Memorynimagination (Matt Athearn) finished third for the third consecutive start and fifth time in his last six races dating back to last year. Platinum As gave Brett Beckwith one of his three winners on the Tuesday card.
Live racing resumes on Saturday with a matinee that begins at 12pm.
Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY
Jessica Hallett photo
Saratoga Harness Racing Recap – Tuesday 2/3
Up Helly Aa (Armbro Barrister) moved his career earnings to over the $300,000 mark after prevailing in the season’s first Open Trot at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Jaymes McAssey trains Up Helly Aa who was one of the nominees for Trotter of the Year in 2025 at the Spa. On Tuesday, Up Helly Aa powered out early before yielding to the favored Ordained (Larry Stalbaum) in a first quarter that went in 28.1. The 6-5 favorite Ordained rattled off a half in 57.4 before seeing Up Helly Aa pocket-pull and cruise right by in the backstretch. Chris Long mildly urged Up Helly Aa as he drew away to take a lead of close to six lengths before stopping the timer in 1:56.1 to record the victory in his first start of the ’26 campaign. Ordained, though overpowered by Up Helly Aa, held strong to be a clear second-place finisher while Memorynimagination (Matt Athearn) closed to be third. Up Helly Aa paid $9.72 to win in the mild upset in the $16,500 Open. The seven year old trotter is owned by Ian Fromowitz. McAssey scored a training double on Tuesday when his Send It In Hanover went back-to-back with Up Helly Aa on the card.
Live racing resumes on Saturday with a first post time of 12pm.
Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY
Jessica Hallett photo
Saratoga Harness Racing Recap – Tuesday, 12/16
Laurie Lee prevailed in the season’s final Open of the year on Tuesday afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Peter Pellegrino trains the eight-year-old mare who returned to town after not racing at the Spa since September. Laurie Lee owned three Open wins this year when she drew post two for her try in the $18,500 Fillies and Mares Open. Leading driver Jimmy Devaux powered her out to the lead where she cruised unopposed in a first quarter of 27.2 and a half in 57.2. Rival Miss Idaho A (Larry Stalbaum) drew post eight for her debut in the ladies’ Open but was backed by the public to odds of 2-1. The Aussie invader got away last and was ten lengths out at the quarter pole. Fresh off an impressive victory, Miss Idaho A powered up three-wide in the backstretch and put in a bid late but her efforts wound up being enough to finish second in a 1:53.4 mile. Racy Roxy A (Jay Randall) earned the show spot. Laurie Lee’s victory was her fourth in the local Open in 2025 and her eighth overall on the season. The winner paid $9.14 to win in the year’s final feature at the Spa.
Live racing has concluded for the ’25 campaign and will be set to resume in early February.
Harness Racing Recap – Tuesday 12/9
Waitforever N won the Fillies and Mares Open for the fifth time this season at Saratoga Casino Hotel when on Tuesday afternoon, she went coast-to-coast in the feature. Leon Bailey catch-drove the eight-year-old distaffer for trainer Brett Derue and moved her right out to the front-end in the matinee’s $18,500 featured event for the ladies. Waitforever N rattled off first-half fractions of 27.2 and 57.2 on a cold December afternoon at the Spa and didn’t face much of a challenge before being confronted by pocket-sitting Island Bouhinia A (Jacob Cutting) in the stretch. The Derue trainee dug in late and scored a half-length win in 1:55.4. Island Bouhinia A was the runner-up for the second consecutive week in the Open while DC Batgirl (Billy Dobson) finished third in her debut in the local ladies’ Open. Waitforever N went off at odds of 7-2 in what was her eighth victory of the season and fifth in Open company. Bailey and Derue teamed up for another winner on the Tuesday card as well when Delta Three N sprung a mild upset in a $14,500 race for fillies and mares.
Live racing continues on Sunday with a matinee that begins at 12pm.
Saratoga Harness Racing Recap – Tuesday 11/25
Racy Roxy A won the Fillies and Mares Open at Saratoga Casino Hotel for the second time of the year on Tuesday afternoon. Jay Randall drives the classy distaffer for trainer Rob Harmon and together, they were bet down to odds of 8-5 as the favorite in the $18,500 ladies’ feature. Racy Roxy A flashed early speed to take an easy lead on Tuesday and the seven year old never let up. After pacing through a fast first quarter of 27.3, Racy Roxy A got a breather before rattling off a half in 57.2. The favorite never faced much of a challenge before a late run in the stretch from pocket-sitter Island Bouhinia A (Jacob Cutting). The chase proved to be futile though and Racy Roxy A reported home a 1:54.2 winner to record her second Open victory of the year at the Spa. Island Bouhinia A was the runner-up while P L Princess C (Jeff Long) closed to finish third. Racy Roxy A’s score was her seventh in 2025 as she attempts to follow up a six-figure ’24 campaign with another one this season. The Aussie invader is owned by Mike Casalino Jr. of Freehold, NJ.
Live racing continues on Wednesday at Saratoga with a matinee that is set to kick off at 12pm.
Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY
Jessica Hallett photo
Saratoga Harness Racing Recap – Tuesday 11/18
Discoveringthehunt (Huntsville) has gone on a tear of late at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Henry Westbrook III took over training duties of the five-year-old mare in October and ever since, she has been a winning machine. Discoveringthehunt drew the rail on Tuesday while coming off back-to-back jacks for driver Phil Fluet. The razor sharp distaffer came into the try off a win that saw her go last to first and spring an upset at odds of 9-1. On Tuesday, Fluet powered Discoveringthehunt out from her inside post and commit her to the lead. The 6-5 betting favorite parked out a rival early in a sizzling first quarter of 26.4. Fending off numerous challengers, Discoveringthehunt cruised through a half in 56.3 before checking in at three quarters in 1:26.1. Cyclone Sister (Wally Hennessey) was briefly part of the early speed but saved ground behind the leader throughout before settling for second in a mile clocked in 1:55.4. Celcius (Jacob Cutting) raced parked the mile but still finished third. The win was the fourth in five starts for Discoveringthehunt who earned the winner’s share of Tuesday’s $12,500 purse. She is owned by Kathryn Swanberg and Kimberly Barcomb.
Live racing continues on Wednesday afternoon at Saratoga. There will be a carryover of $4,960 in the Pick Five pool. The Pick Five begins in race one at 12pm. Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY
Jessica Hallett photo
Saratoga Harness Racing Recap – Tuesday 11/11
Arizona is looking to become the first distaffer to win the award for Filly and Mare Pacer of the Year at Saratoga Casino Hotel in back-to-back seasons since Dandy’s Jewel achieved the feat in 2007-2008. The Melissa Beckwith trainee was the winner of the top award for lady pacers in ’24 and on Tuesday afternoon, the talented six-year-old won for the eleventh time of the year and ninth time in the local Open. With Chris Long in the sulky, Arizona flashed early speed from post four in the $18,500 Open before setting first-half fractions of 27.3 and 56.3 while traveling unopposed. The Beckwith trainee rattled off three quarters in 1:25.1 before pacing away from the competition to record a two-and-a-quarter length victory in 1:54.2. Pocket-sitter Alittlesidehustl N (Billy Dobson) came up a well-beaten second in the feature while Waitforever N (Aaron Byron) earned the show spot for the second straight week in the Open. Arizona has earned well into six figures for the second consecutive year and with nine Open wins at the Spa becomes the clear favorite to be named top lady pacer once again this year. Arizona is owned by Wendy Timpano.
Live racing continues on Wednesday at Saratoga with a matinee that begins at 12pm.