Can Am continued his recent hot streak on Wednesday afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Phil Fluet trains and drives the four year old after claiming him in late September. Can Am went coast-to-coast to score a decisive victory on October 22^nd and after getting parked the mile in the start that followed put the swoop to the group last week (Nov 5) to score an impressive win from off the pace. On Wednesday, Can Am was the 4-5 betting favorite in his division of a $10,000 pace for young colts and geldings. Fluet was content to get away third in the eight-horse field and sat patiently in a first half that went in a soft 59.4. Cutting the mile was rival Romantic Lou (Wally Hennessey) who also came into Wednesday’s tilt off a victory and thus was the 7-5 second-choice in the wagering. Can Am powered up first-over approaching the five-eighths pole and crept closer to Romantic Lou with every stride. He was still nearly two lengths away from the lead when Romantic Lou rattled off three quarters in 1:28.3. Those pacers sparred around the final turn before Can Am imposed his will in the stretch to come on and win by a length. Romantic Lou was the runner-up while Classic Jim (Jimmy Devaux) earned the show spot. For Can Am, the win was number six on the year and the third in his last four starts.

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

Dominion stayed red-hot on a chilly Wednesday afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel on Wednesday when the Brielle Roman-trained four-year-old won for the fourth time in his last five starts. Drawing the rail for his try in a $10,000 trotting event, Dominion wound up as the public’s odds-on favorite in a start that saw him go coast-to-coast to prevail for the fourth time in the class with one start up in company in between. Justin Huckabone piloted Dominion who got away second and was content to sit the pocket to rival Struttin Yankee (Leon Bailey) in the first lap. The big favorite was guided to the outside by Huckabone approaching the three-quarter pole and quickly imposed his will. Dominion cruised away in the stretch before stopping the timer in 1:58.4 for his fourth victory in 2025. Struttin Yankee was the runner-up to the razor-sharp Dominion while Nifty Fifty (Chris Long) came on to finish third. Dominion is owned by Matthew Dugan.

Live racing resumes on Sunday and will feature a mandatory payout of the Jackpot in the Super High 5 in the afternoon’s finale. The jackpot sits at over $20,000. First post time for the Sunday matinee is set for 12pm.

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett photo

The Larry Stalbaum stable featured a pair of new members on Wednesday afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Stalbaum, the Trainer and Horseman of the Year at Saratoga in 2021, went two-for-two with his new trainees on Wednesday as pacer Hezthecaptain and trotter Set The Bar each recorded victories. Hezthecaptain came to town off a career-best win at Hoosier Park and drew the rail for his Spa debut. The 3-5 betting favorite got away fifth from the rail and Stalbaum moved him first over. Hezthecaptain ground the leader into submission around the final turn before drawing clear to win by three-quarters of a length in 1:57.4 to score in his local debut in the $10,000 pace for colts and geldings.

Stalbaum’s Set The Bar prevailed in his first Spa try as the sophomore was one of two even-money choices in his $10,000 event for young trotters. Set The Bar popped the pocket past the three-quarter pole before overpowering the competition and drawing away to win in 1:58. Set The Bar debuted for Stalbaum off of a second-place finish in the Fair Final at Pocono Downs just two weeks ago. Eric Prevost owns both Hezthecaptain and Set The Bar who comprised the Stalbaum Wednesday double.

Live racing resumes on Sunday with a first post time of 12pm. The matinee’s first race will feature a Pick Five carryover of $2,734. There is a $16,940 carryover in the Super High 5.

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett photo

Joey Joe (Always A Virgin) made his local debut a winning one on Wednesday at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The three year old gelding came to town for the first time since changing connections and moving to the stable of trainer Ryan Nelson. On Wednesday, the youngster was his race’s 1-5 betting favorite as he pursued his fourth consecutive victory. Aaron Byron got the catch-drive behind Joey Joe who wasted little time moving out to the lead in the $10,000 race for colt and gelding pacers. Joey Joe cruised unopposed throughout the majority of the mile as rival Olympic Blaze (Matt Athearn) rode his coattails every step of the way. Joey Joe had little difficulty in the stretch reporting home a length and a half winner in 1:55.4 to extend his win streak to four. Joey Joe is co-owned by Patrick Gregory and trainer Ryan Nelson. Olympic Blaze was the runner-up to the winner while Major Drama (Jimmy Devaux) earned the show spot.

Racing resumes on Sunday afternoon at Saratoga with a matinee that begins at 12pm.

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett Photo

Trainer Brett Derue won an Open for the second consecutive afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The track’s leading trainer in 2023, Derue currently sits fifth in the standings this season. On Wednesday’s matinee, Derue’s Waitforever N (American Ideal) scored her first victory of the year when she won a photo in the $16,000 Fillies and Mares Open with Brett Beckwith in the sulky. Waitforever N joined the Derue stable earlier this season and despite hitting the board in ten of sixteen starts heading into her Wednesday tilt was winless in the ’25 campaign. Longshot Always Watching (Jordan Derue) took advantage of her inside post position in the ladies’ feature and carved out fractions of 27.3, 57 and 1:25 through three quarters before being met with the challenge of Waitforever N. The Brett Derue trainee got the better of the Jordan Derue trainee in the stretch reeling in the longshot leader late to score in 1:52.4 over a fast track. Always Watching was a strong second at odds of 13-1 while Racy Roxy A (Jay Randall) earned the show spot. Waitforever N’s owners Picarazzi, Bullard and Derue also won the Tuesday feature at Saratoga when their Duke Lavictoire went wire-to-wire in the Open Trot. Those connections completed a double on Wednesday when their Dark Eclipse N (Leon Bailey) went coast-to-coast in a race for claiming pacing mares.

Live racing resumes on Sunday afternoon at Saratoga with a matinee that is set to begin at Noon.  There is a $10,253.32 carryover in the Jackpot H Five.

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett photo

Intense Lady (Bettor’s Delight) set a new lifetime mark on Wednesday in one of several $8,800 conditional races at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Trainer Joe Skowyra claimed the four year old mare back in March and managed a second and a third-place finish in a handful of starts heading into Wednesday’s try. Aaron Byron sat behind Intense Lady who was her race’s 4-5 betting favorite as she got away third in a race in which her rival HP Top Modele (Brett Beckwith) set the fractions. Following a first half that went in 57.4, Intense Lady took her shot at the leader before racing her home in the final quarter. The favorite got the better of HP Top Modele to prevail in 1:56, a career-best clocking for Intense Lady who was making her 37^th lifetime start. HP Top Modele finished second while Marced Rain (Dan Rawlings) earned the show spot. Intense Lady is owned by Rocco Stebbins of Rochester, NY. Skowyra sits in the top five in the trainer standings in the 2025 campaign.

Live racing resumes on Sunday afternoon with a matinee beginning at noon.

Six Sticks completed a training double for conditioner Andy Gardner on the Wednesday card at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The four year old trotter has enjoyed a strong start to his 2025 campaign and on Wednesday, he went wire-to-wire to prevail in his $8,800 division of a non-winners of two race lifetime conditional race. Six Sticks wound up as his race’s 2-1 betting favorite as he moved out to the early lead with Leon Bailey at the controls before going coast-to-coast in 1:58.1 to record his third victory of the year. Gardner’s Free Flying Freddy prevailed earlier on the matinee card when the three year old scored a decisive win in an $8,200 race for young colt and gelding pacers. Free Flying Freddy’s win was a three-length score that came in 1:58 with Aaron Byron in the driver’s seat. Gardner, who finished second in the local trainer standings in his career-best 2021 season, continues to be a staple among local trainers at the Spa.

Live racing resumes on Sunday with a first post time for the matinee set for 12pm. There will be a carryover in the Pick Five of $3,639. The Pick Five begins in race one on Sunday.

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett photo

Wednesday marked the start of the annual Virginia O’Brien Memorial Pacing Series for fillies and mares at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The springtime series began a decade ago and the tenth installment for distaffers got underway with three divisions of the first leg that each went for a purse of $10,000. Little Instigator (Heston Blue Chip) cruised to a decisive victory as her race’s 1-9 betting favorite in leg one of the series. The Joe Skowyra trainee prevailed in her local debut last week (April 16) and on Wednesday was even more impressive, pacing away to score in a career-best 1:55.2 with Matt Athearn in the sulky. The filly is now five-for-eight in her young career.

Wayward Blue Chip (Tall Dark Stranger) parlayed a pocket ride to victory in her division of the Virginia O’Brien Memorial as reinsman Jimmy Devaux guided the Dale Lawton-trained filly to her third score of the season. Wayward Blue Chip sat the two-hole behind upset-minded Cindy’s Faith (Larry Stalbaum) before pacing past her to set a new lifetime mark of 1:56. Wayward Blue Chip was the 8-5 favorite in her division of leg one. The final division of the day went the way of Captain Catch. Michelle Warner trains the four year old mare who had Brett Beckwith piloting on Wednesday. Beckwith guided Captain Catch to victory for the fourth time in the five starts in which he’s sat behind her. In leg one, the Warner trainee came from off the pace to score in 1:57.4. There are three legs of the O’Brien Memorial scheduled leading up to the Final that will take place next month.

Live racing resumes on Sunday at the Spa with a matinee that begins at 12pm.

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett photo

Hall of Fame driver Wally Hennessey made his return to Saratoga Casino Hotel this week and the veteran sulky star picked up right where he left off from last season. Hennessey, who is closing in on 12,000 wins for his career, sat behind the Jaymes McAssey-trained Hugh Heston in the Wednesday feature at Saratoga Casino Hotel. McAssey acquired the four year old pacer last month and saw him hit the board in all three of his local starts heading into Wednesday’s try in the $10,500 feature for colts and geldings. Hennessey wasted little time powering Hugh Heston out to the front-end while the Spa newbie pursued his second victory of the season. The race’s 3-2 betting favorite rattled off a fast first quarter in 27.1 before backing it down to get a half in 58.2. From there, the McAssey trainee never faced an anxious moment before reporting home in 1:56 to prevail by a length and a quarter. Hugh Heston is owned by Morrison Racing Stables of Pennsylvania. McAssey, who sits in second place in the trainer standings at the Spa this season, recorded a double on the card when his Crunchberry De Vie scored in an $8,800 pacing event with Brett Beckwith at the controls.

There is no live racing on Easter Sunday (4/20). Live racing resumes on Monday with a matinee set to begin at 12pm.

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett photo

The Wednesday program at Saratoga Casino Hotel featured a training double for conditioner Dale Lawton. The Vernon Downs-based veteran tallied two winners on the matinee card highlighted by an open-length score by Wayward Blue Chip (Tall Dark Stranger) in an $8,800 conditional race. The sophomore filly drew the rail in pursuit of her second win of the season, a victory she secured in decisive fashion in a new 2025-best win time of 1:57.4. Wayward Blue Chip had hit the board in four consecutive starts heading into a Wednesday tilt that saw her go coast-to-coast with Jimmy Devaux at the controls. Wayward Blue Chip was a three-length winner on Wednesday to give her connections their second victory on the card after youngster Dreamscape AFS went wire-to-wire for Devaux and Lawton to secure his first win of the ’25 campaign. Lawton co-owns both of his Wednesday winners with Chris Lawton.

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

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett photo