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

Leon Bailey reached a career milestone on Wednesday afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel as the three-time Vernon Downs leading driver recorded his 1,000^th lifetime win. Bailey sat behind the Kyle Spagnola-trained Better Crunch (Captain Crunch) in an $8,000 conditional race for fillies and mares. Better Crunch came into the race off her maiden score which came last week. The four year old mare drew the rail once again on Wednesday and carved out the fractions on the front-end with Bailey at the controls. Better Crunch went coast-to-coast in 1:58.1 to record her second consecutive win and give Bailey his 1000^th career victory. Owned by Mark Rowland and Spagnola Racing LLC, Better Crunch paid $12.40 in the mild upset. Bailey was presented with a sign commemorating his career milestone while in the winner’s circle following the Wednesday score. Bailey wasted little time acquiring win number 1,001 as he guided the Dale Lawton-trained Excursion to victory in the matinee’s finale.

Live racing resumes on Sunday afternoon at Saratoga with a 12pm start.

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett photo

Young pacer Bartertown (Stay Hungry) moved his record to two-for-two in the early stages of his career when on Wednesday afternoon, the three-year-old cruised to an open-length victory in a $7,500 race for young colt and gelding pacers. The Michelle Crawford-trained Bartertown parlayed a pocket trip to his maiden win last Wednesday (Mar 19) and in his second lifetime start moved out to the early lead with driver Brett Crawford at the controls. Bartertown settled in on the front end and appeared comfortable throughout before powering away to win decisively in 1:57, a new lifetime mark for the youngster. Bartertown, who is owned by Dragon Tales Farm Inc, had three strong qualifiers last season as a two-year-old but didn’t record his first lifetime start until his March 19^th try. The three-year-old gelding appears poised to have a strong spring and summer if the first two starts are any indicator of what is to come.

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

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett photo

Toreador GB (Matador Hall) handled his step up in class with relative ease on Wednesday afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel as the Robert Cleary-trained pacer prevailed in the matinee’s feature. The British invader rattled off back-to-back victories to begin his local career when competing in the non-winners of two race lifetime condition with leading driver Brett Beckwith in the sulky. On Wednesday, the five-year-old moved up into the $9,500 featured race for pacers and drew post five for his try. Beckwith moved the 1-2 betting favorite out to the early lead, a lead he would never relinquish. Toreador GB cruised unopposed through a first half in 59 seconds and opened up by open lengths around the final turn before reporting home a decisive winner in 1:56.3 over a track labeled ‘sloppy.’ For Cleary, his record moved to five-for-five on the young season with the win. Toreador GB is owned by L P D Racing of East Windsor, NJ.

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

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett photo

Earlier in the week, young reinsman Brett Beckwith missed a couple of race days at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The 22-year-old wasn’t just sitting on the couch or relaxing on beach at a tropical location but instead was accepting the Dan Patch Rising Star Award. Beckwith, who not only was the leading driver at the Spa in ’24 but shared the title at Plainridge Park with Bruce Ranger, returned home on Tuesday and piloted four winners. On Wednesday, the track’s defending top driver made six more trips to the winner’s circle including a sweep off the $9,500 co-featured races.

Beckwith sat behind Melissa Beckwith’s Swiss Cotton (Tellitlikeitis) as he prevailed for the third consecutive week. Stepping up into the winners of two but not more than five race lifetime class, Swiss Cotton stuck to the pylon path throughout the mile before closing up the passing lane to score in 1:56.4 for his third win in four seasonal tries. The four-year-old paid $8.30 to win in the mild upset. The other co-feature saw Beckwith catch-drive for trainer Jaymes McAssey whose Legal Attack (Bettor’s Delight) had little difficulty going coast-to-coast at odds of 1-9 to move his local record to two-for-two. Legal Attack’s win time of 1:56.4 matched that of counterpart Swiss Cotton as Beckwith completed the sweep of the co-features en route to a six-win afternoon.

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