Laurie Lee (Royel Millennium) made her return to Saratoga Casino Hotel a winning one on Tuesday afternoon when the Peter Pellegrino-trained mare went coast-to-coast in the matinee’s feature. Laurie Lee competed in the Fillies and Mares Open at the Spa last season and enjoyed some success. The eight-year-old mare drew the rail for her Tuesday try in the $15,000 Open for distaffers. Reinsman Jimmy Devaux wanted the lead at all costs and turned back an early bid from a rival to secure the front-end in a sizzling first quarter that went in 26.3. The tempo remained hot on a warmer March afternoon in the Spa City as Laurie Lee checked in at the half in 55.3 and remained unopposed while rattling off three quarters in 1:24.3. The veteran opened up a lead that would prove to be insurmountable in the stretch before she stopped the timer in 1:53.3, a clocking that marked the fastest for any horse on the still young season at the Spa. Co-favored Quarrel (Jay Randall) was the runner-up to Laurie Lee while Magical Maya A (Matt Athearn) finished third despite being parked the mile in the feature. Laurie Lee paid $8.90 to win in the mild upset. The winner is owned by June Hamerla of Georgia.

Brett Beckwith wrapped up a sweep of the Opens this week at Saratoga Casino Hotel when on Tuesday afternoon, the track’s top reinsman piloted Arizona (Up The Credit) to another feature score. After guiding The Good Doctor and Snowpiercer to Open wins in the previous two days, Beckwith sat behind the track’s defending award winner for Filly and Mare Pacer of the Year Arizona who was assigned post position seven in the $15,000 Open. The talented distaffer marched out to the early lead in the ladies’ feature and rattled off first-half fractions of 28 seconds and 57.3 before opening up an insurmountable lead in the Open and prevailing by a measured length. Pocket-sitter Waitforever N (Aaron Byron) was the runner-up to Arizona on Tuesday while longshot Quarrel (Jay Randall) came on for third. Arizona, who is owned by Wendy Timpano, was one of seven winners on the day for Brett Beckwith who is enjoying another sensational start to his season at the Spa. The 22 year old’s mother Melissa trains Arizona in addition to four other winners on the matinee card en route to a training five-bagger. Arizona’s Open score was her second in three starts the Spa in 2025.

Live racing continues on Wednesday with a matinee that kicks off at Noon.

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett photo

Violets Rainbow (Art Official) completed a triple for trainer Jaymes McAssey on Tuesday afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel as the veteran mare prevailed in the matinee’s feature. Violets Rainbow scored victories in her first local starts this season before stepping up into the ladies’ Open last week (Feb 18) in which she finished fourth. The eight-year-old distaffer came first-over in Tuesday’s $12,000 feature for fillies and mares and wore down longshot leader Linemup Knockmback (Jimmy Devaux) late in the stretch. Violets Rainbow stopped the timer in 1:54.3 to record her third win of the year as she bested Linemup Knockmback who held second while the favored Always Watching (Jordan Derue) earned the show spot. Violets Rainbow, who was piloted by Brett Beckwith, paid $5.70 to win in her Tuesday score which was the third of the day for her stable as McAssey’s Think Ahead and Downtown Tonight both recorded their third wins of the season on Tuesday.

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

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Gloria Mattison Cahill photo

The track’s defending Filly and Mare Pacer of the Year was back at it again on Tuesday afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel as Arizona made her first trek to the winner’s circle in her 2025 campaign. The top distaffer at the Spa in ’24, Arizona made her return to the track on Feb 12 when she finished third despite getting away eighth and spotting the leader an advantage of a dozen lengths in the early going. On Tuesday, top reinsman Brett Beckwith opted to move Arizona to the front-end past the opening quarter and the six-year-old never looked back. Bet down to odds of 2-5, Arizona coasted to a well-measured one length victory over pocket-sitting longshot Always Watching (Jordan Derue) in a mile clocked in 1:56.1. Last week’s Open winner Alittlesidehustl N closed to finish third in the $15,000 feature for the ladies. Arizona, who is owned by Wendy Timpano, accounted for one of five winners on the card for trainer Melissa Beckwith and driver Brett Beckwith who piled up a handful of victories on the matinee card to continue the strong start to the season for the mother-son combo.

Live racing continues on Wednesday afternoon with a matinee set to begin at 12pm.

Deadline Hall (Muscle Mass) made his local debut a winning one on Tuesday afternoon in the $15,000 Open Trot at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Aaron Byron sat behind the Amanda Kelley-trained trotter who drew post position one and was able to control the action from start to finish in the feature. Deadline Hall cruised through a first lap in 57.3 and powered home to prevail in 1:55.3. Longshot Comeonover Hanover (Billy Dobson) sat the pocket and finished second while City Of Hope (Jimmy Devaux) earned the show spot. Deadline Hall is owned by John Ball and S & K Misfit Racing. The winner paid $15.40 to win in the mild upset.

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

VEL Straight Out (Straight Shooting) overcame post eight to prevail in the Tuesday feature at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The five year old mare came to town off back-to-back wins in the Monticello Fillies and Mares Open but drew post eight for her first Spa start. Competing in the $12,000 feature for distaffers, VEL Straight Out got away sixth from the eight hole and remained there at the half mile pole after a first lap that saw the race’s top two betting choices spar for the lead. Driver Dan Rawlings tipped VEL Straight Out three deep around the final turn and the sharp mare kept making progress until completing her swoop of the group to score in 1:56.2 at odds of 10-1. Longshot Always Watching (Jordan Derue) closed to be second at 18-1 while the triple was rounded out by Magical Mistress (Jimmy Devaux). VEL Straight Out served as one of three winners on the card for owner Cliff Grundy, trainer Tammy Sowers and reinsman Dan Rawlings.

Live racing resumes on Monday with a matinee starting at 12pm.

Trainer Jackie Greene is once again a nominee for the Horsewoman of the Year Award in 2024 at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The multiple training champ at the track enjoyed a strong ’24 campaign and on Tuesday afternoon, the veteran conditioner recorded a double. Greene’s Unrivaled Hanover (Bettor’s Delight) scored a decisive victory in his Spa debut when the three year old prevailed in the matinee’s feature as the 1-9 betting favorite in his $9,500 pacing event. Unrivaled Hanover made an early move to the front under the guidance of leading driver Brett Beckwith and once the sophomore got to the top, there was no looking back. Unrivaled Hanover cruised to a measured one-length victory in 1:55.1 to complete a double for the Greene stable as her Classic Jim (Aaron Byron) secured his second win in three local tries when he stopped the timer in 1:57.3 in a non-winners of two race lifetime pace. Unrivaled Hanover and Classic Jim are both owned by Kellogg Racing Stables. Unrivaled Hanover is entered to go on Sunday afternoon when the rising star, who has earned six figures in his ’24 campaign, is installed as the 6-5 morning line favorite as he looks to go back-to-back.

Live racing resumes on Saturday evening to kick off closing weekend for the 2024 racing season at the Spa. First post time on Saturday is set for 5pm.

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett photo

With no Fillies and Mares Open on the docket on Tuesday afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel, an $11,500 event for fillies and mares served as the feature. Pacing mare Truly was the public’s even-money betting favorite in the race after drawing post two and adding lasix for the try.

Billy Dobson piloted the Andy Sardella-trained distaffer who wasted little time moving to the front in the feature. Truly clicked off a fast 27.2 first panel before backing it down some and reaching the half in 57.2.

The favorite’s main threat came in the stretch when pocket-sitting Luck B Mine (Mcgwire Sowers) closed up the inside. The chase proved futile as Truly stopped the timer in 1:55 for her fifth win in nine seasonal starts. Luck B Mine completed an exacta that paid $26.60 while longshot HS Shauna (Jordan Derue) earned the show spot and rounded out a $701 triple.

Truly is owned by Mike and Bill Pozefsky of New York. Billy Dobson had a big day on Tuesday as he piloted five winners on the card, three of which coming for trainer Jaymes McAssey.

Live racing resumes on Saturday evening with a 5pm start and features a $39,925 carryover in the Jackpot High Five.

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

Always Watching recorded her second Open win of the season on Tuesday after she went coast-to-coast in the matinee’s feature at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Jordan Derue owns, trains and drives the mare who last year was the Horse of the Year at the Spa. Always Watching, a six year old by He’s Watching, won nine local Opens in 2023 and ten races in total en route to almost $120,000 in earnings and the Horse of the Year honors.

Tuesday’s victory in the $15,000 Fillies and Mares Open was her second in ’24 and came in a seasonal best 1:54. Always Watching worked hard in lap one as she rattled off quarters of 27.2 and 55.4 before stealing a bit of a breather in the third quarter. The Derue stable star held strong and had just enough to withstand the late bid from back-to-back Open winner Arizona (Brett Beckwith) who was the race’s favorite despite drawing post eight.

Fond Memories A (Larry Stalbaum) earned the show spot on Tuesday in a race that saw Always Watching pay $7.90 to win and lead an exacta and triple that returned $17 and $78.50, respectively.

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

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett photo

Arizona rattled off her second consecutive victory in the Fillies and Mares Open at Saratoga Casino Hotel on Tuesday when she put the swoop to the featured group. Arizona, a five-year-old mare by Up The Credit, got away seventh in the seven-horse Open on Tuesday when driver Brett Beckwith displayed patience with the Mark Beckwith trainee who was a wire-to-wire winner in the previous installment of the ladies’ feature at the Spa contested two weeks ago.

Arizona got away at the back in a first half that was paced in 56.2 in a mile that was cut by Alittlesidehustl N (Jay Randall). That one proved tough and gutsy on the lead and still appeared strong through three quarters in 1:25.1 before Arizona powered up three-wide around the final turn. The Beckwith trainee got up to win in 1:54.2 to record her second straight win in the $15,000 Open. Alittlesidehustl N finished second while Magical Maya A (Larry Stalbaum) earned the show spot.

Arizona paid $7.10 to win and led an exacta and triple that returned $29.40 and $111.50, respectively. The winner is owned by Wendy Timpano of Ontario, Canada. Brett Beckwith continues to pile up the victories as the meet’s leading driver adding four more to his tally on Tuesday’s card with three of the wins coming for trainer Mark Beckwith.

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

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett photo