There were four divisions of the third and final leg of the Step Up To The Plate Claiming Series contested on Saturday evening at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Much like in the previous legs, the favorites did not thrive in the early going on Saturday as horses had their final chance to accrue earnings towards next weekend’s $30,000+ Final. Control Tower (Panspacificflight) became the first repeat winner in the series when he went wire-to-wire with Jimmy Devaux in the sulky. The eleven year old utilized early speed to overcome the outside post in his seven-horse division of the series and wound up a wire-to-wire winner for owner/trainer Jared Bako paying $8.50 to win in the mild upset. Control Tower’s final time of 1:55.4 proved to be the fastest of the leg three winners.

Trainer Lisa Zabielski claimed Its Just Too Much (American Ideal) out of leg one and after the veteran pacer made a break last week, the ten year old rewarded his new connections with a victory in leg three when he emerged from a scramble in the stretch to score in 1:57.4 over a track labeled ‘sloppy.’ Chris Long piloted the upset winner who was dismissed at odds of 6-1.

The favorites finally began to prevail late in the evening when Rogue Cheddar (Betterthancheddar) scored as the odds-on public choice. A runner-up in each of the first two legs, Rogue Cheddar sat the pocket on Saturday and wasn’t able to shake loose until late in the mile. When he did, the Zack Gray-trained pacer surged up the passing lane to score in 1:57.4. The final $17,500 division of leg three went the way of Nerve Of Steel N and reinsman Phil Fluet. Like Rogue Cheddar, Nerve Of Steel N a runner-up in the first two legs of the series but got the job done on Saturday to punch his ticket to next weekend’s Final. His trainer Bob Davis co-owns the New Zealand import with Mike Mancini. Nerve Of Steel N paid $5.60 as the 9-5 favorite in leg three.

Live racing continues on Sunday at Saratoga with a matinee that kicks off at noon.

Photo: Jessica Hallett

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

There were two divisions of the Step Up To The Plate Claiming Series for trotters that served as co-features on the Monday afternoon card at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The winners of the two divisions from last week’s (March 13) first leg squared off with each other on Monday as Esa and The Royal Poze slugged it out for their share of the $22,500 leg two purse. Esa, who was claimed out of leg one, went coast-to-coast to score in that start but on Monday wound up having to move first-over on his race’s favorite JNR Express (Jay Randall). Esa fought gamely before wearing down the favorite to score in 1:56.1. It was the fourth victory of the season for Esa who was again claimed on Monday and will head into leg three of the series under the guidance of yet another set of new connections. JNR Express was the runner-up for the third consecutive week while leg one winner The Royal Poze (Jimmy Devaux) came on to finish third. All three of the top finishers from this division were claimed on Monday.

The other division of the second leg of the series went the way of Live Well Lived (Muscle Mass). Claimed out of leg one by trainer Kevin McDermott, Life Well Lived drew the rail and controlled the action from start to finish to pay immediate dividends for his new connections. Shawn Gray sat behind the nine year old trotter who proved to be a decisive winner in 1:57.2 as his race’s odds-on favorite. Mr Cool Seaeyre N (Brett Beckwith) made a break in the early going and still toughed it out to finish second while First Gunner (Billy Dobson) earned the show spot. Leg three of the Step Up To The Plate Claiming Series for trotters will take place next on Monday (March 27) with the Final scheduled for the following week.

Leg one of the Step Up To The Plate Claiming Series for fillies and mares takes place on Tuesday afternoon highlighting the 13-race matinee that is set to begin at noon.

Photo: Jessica Hallett

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

Summit City Sonny (Dover Dan) came into Sunday’s Open Trot at Saratoga Casino Hotel riding as long of a win streak as any horse has had in the young season. The Jesse McAssey trainee debuted at the Spa last year and enjoyed a good amount of success racing. The 2023 campaign started with a second-place finish for Summit City Sonny who quickly got into the win column the following week while competing in the winner of two but not more than five race lifetime condition. From there, the four year old rattled off a total of four consecutive victories before stepping up into the Open for the first time on Sunday afternoon. Leon Bailey has been the regular reinsman for Summit City Sonny this season and piloted him aggressively in the $17,000 feature pulling first-over on Beerthirty K (Jimmy Devaux) who cruised through a comfortable first half of 58.3. Summit City Sonny didn’t seem to pose much of a threat to the leader who clicked off three-quarters in 1:27.1. The McAssey trainee would not give in though and just kept plugging away on the outside before wearing down Beerthirty K late in the game to prevail in his debut in the Open. Beerthirty K was the runner-up while Big Box Hanover (Matt Athearn), the winner of the previous two installments of the Open Trot, came from the back of the pack to finish third on Sunday. Summit City Sonny, who is owned by his trainer Jesse McAssey in partnership with Adam Friedland, paid $23.60 to win in the upset and led an exacta and triple that returned $76.50 and $278.50, respectively.

Live racing continues on Monday afternoon at Saratoga with a matinee starting at noon.

Photo: Jessica Hallett

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

With no Open Pace on the Saturday night card at Saratoga Casino Hotel, there were two Winners Overs that served as co-features. Trainer Amanda Kelley had the favorites in each one although both of her speedy pacers found themselves in much different positions. Willie Go West N (Auckland Reactor) moved up into the $14,500 Winners Over off a victory in the U.S. debut two weeks ago, a race that saw him secure a wire-to-wire score in 1:52.4. On Saturday, the Kelley trainee drew post eight for his big test against strong competition and leading driver Jimmy Devaux found some early speed from the New Zealand invader who landed in third in the early going. When Devaux gave Willie Go West N his cue approaching the half, the rising star powered impressively past his rivals before drawing away to again win in 1:52.4 to match the lifetime mark he set in his Spa debut two weeks ago. Kelley owns and trains the seven year old pacer.

Kelley again teamed up with Devaux on Saturday with Mach Le More A (Mach Three) who drew the rail in the $15,525 second division of the Winners Over races. The runner-up after sitting the pocket in last week’s try at the same level, Mach Le More A controlled his own destiny this week and set pretty leisurely fractions on the engine before facing a stiff challenge in the stretch from pocket-sitting Hespoisedtopounce A (Matt Athearn). Mach Le More A dug in and survived a photo to score his second win of the year to complete a sweep of the features for his connections. Mach Le More A is owned by the S &K Misfit Racing stable of Greenfield Center, NY. Continuing what has been a terrific start to his 2023 season, Devaux piloted five winners on the Saturday card.

Live racing continues on Sunday afternoon at Saratoga with a matinee that begins at noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Jessica Hallett

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

The Step Up To The Plate Claiming Series for trotters got underway on Monday afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The first of three legs of the series that lead up to the final next month featured two divisions that each went for a purse of $20,000. Jordan Derue trains and drives Esa (E L Titan) who was the odds-on favorite in the first division on Monday. Derue marched the seven year old out to the early lead as rival JNR Express (John Stark Jr) gave way to sit the pocket. That pair drew away from its rivals in the stretch before Esa held on to win it by a head in 1:57.1 to record his third victory of the season. Both Esa and JNR Express, who came up second best, were claimed out of leg one. Mr Cool Seaeyre N (Brett Beckwith) finished third.

The other division saw a different Derue score a win as trainer Brett Derue’s The Royal Poze (RC Royalty) set a lifetime mark on Monday. Drawing the rail in his five-horse $20,000 division, The Royal Poze gave way briefly to Life Well Lived (Shawn Gray) in the early going before retaking the lead approaching the opening quarter. The race’s 4-5 favorite in the wagering never looked back before stopping the timer in a career-best 1:56.2. Invader Fair Glider (Jay Randall) finished second while Life Well Lived held on to be third and was claimed from leg one of the series.

Live racing is canceled for Tuesday afternoon at Saratoga with a winter storm set to hit the area.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Jessica Hallett

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

To go last-to-first in a race is a daunting task on a half mile track for any horse. To do it against a top-flight field of Open horses is even more of a tall order. Last Sunday (March 5), Big Box Hanover (Uncle Peter) did just that when he swooped the group to score in the $17,000 feature at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The Larry Stalbaum-trained trotter was dismissed at odds of 27-1 when he recorded his second win in the local Open this season. This Sunday (March 12), Big Box Hanover once again was tasked from coming from last after drawing post eight in his attempt to repeat in the feature.

Young reinsman Matt Athearn, who drove the six year old to victory last week, again sat behind Big Box Hanover as they once again got away last in the eight-horse Open. On Sunday, Big Box Hanover was third over after a first half that went in 57.3 and again made a late sweeping move to take over the lead in the stretch. The Stalbaum trainee stopped the timer in 1:56.1 for his fourth win of the season and third score in the local Open in ’23. Dewey Arnold (Jimmy Devaux) was the runner-up to Big Box Hanover for the second consecutive week while Abruzzo (Shawn Gray) earned the show spot.

The three-time Open winner paid $16.60 on Sunday and led an exacta and triple that returned $57 and $195, respectively. Post eight, no problem for Big Box Hanover!

Live racing continues on Monday at Saratoga with a first post set for noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Jessica Hallett

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

Trainer Lisa Zabielski and driver Chris Long teamed up for a pair of winners on the Saturday card at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Zabielski and Long won their first Open of the year when Optical Illusion N (He’s Watching) prevailed in the $16,000 feature. Long retook the lead heading to the opening quarter with the race’s 4-5 betting favorite and set a fast tempo with the Zabielski trainee who rattled off fractions of 27 and 56 seconds in lap one. Optical Illusion N was tasked with fending off a strong first-over bid from Belmont Major N (Jimmy Devaux), a task in which he succeeded holding off that rival to prevail in 1:52.1. Belmont Major N went a long way overland to finish second while Rocknroll Runa A (Matt Athearn) earned the show spot. A nominee for Pacer of the Year in 2022 at the Spa, Optical Illusion N’s victory was his first in the Open this season. He led an exacta and triple that paid $39.80 and $215, respectively. The seven year old New Zealand invader, who won twelve times in ’22, is owned by Kim Zabielski and his trainer Lisa Zabielski. Long and Zabielski teamed up later in the card for a victory with Mount Royal who scored in leg one of the Step Up To The Plate claiming series for pacers. Long piloted three winners on the Saturday card in total.

Live racing continues on Sunday afternoon with a matinee that begins at noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Jessica Hallett

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

Gary Levine won the training title at Saratoga Casino Hotel in 2020 and has been a force among local conditioners for the better part of the last decades. On Monday afternoon, Levine’s stable had six of its participants compete at the Spa on an afternoon in which the former leading trainer enjoyed a significant amount of success. Levine scored two wins, a pair of seconds and a third place finish on the Monday card. His pair of young trotters No Mo Fashion (Crescent Fashion) and Cash In The Bank (Dover Dan) recorded their first local victories on the matinee card as both trotters went coast-to-coast with Billy Dobson in the sulky. No Mo Fashion shook his “seconditis” when after being the runner-up in five consecutive starts, he set a new lifetime mark on Monday stopping the timer in 2:01.1. Cash In The Bank completed the Monday double for Levine. Another young trotter from his stable T Rex Blue Chip was the runner-up to hit the board for the third straight week since joining the Levine barn. Veteran pacers Major Makover and Gunrneedabgrboat A finished second and third, respectively, in what was a big day for the Spa’s former top conditioner who has started out his season right back near the top of the trainer standings.

Live racing  continues on Tuesday afternoon with a matinee that begins at noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Jessica Hallett

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

Big Box Hanover (Uncle Peter) was one of the winningest horses in the Open Trot at Saratoga Casino Hotel in 2022. The Larry Stalbaum-owned and trained high-stepper, who recorded another six-figure campaign last year, drew post eight for his most recent try against the track’s top trotters on Sunday’s matinee at the Spa. Big Box Hanover hit the board in his first three local tries this year including one victory in the Open but wound up as the longest shot on the board in the $17,000 dismissed at odds of 27-1 after making a break last week. Young reinsman Matt Athearn got away last with Big Box Hanover who remained the race’s back-marker until the 5/8 pole when the field bunched up after the first half went in a fast 56.2. The race was up for grabs heading to three quarters as the classy Stalbaum trainee continued to progress little by little. Big Box Hanover was still fifth at the top of the stretch but his tenacious pursuit didn’t end there and didn’t stop until he hit the wire first in 1:56.4 to spring the big upset. Dewey Arnold (Jimmy Devaux) dealt with traffic trouble throughout the mile and ended up as the runner-up to Big Box Hanover who paid $57.00 to win in the Open shocker. Dewey Arnold completed a $249.50 exacta while Yes (Brett Beckwith) finished third in his local debut to complete a $3,291 triple. The six year old Big Box Hanover moved over the half million dollar mark in lifetime earnings a few weeks ago and on Sunday recorded his 37^th career win in 107 starts.

Live racing continues on Monday afternoon at Saratoga and will feature a carryover of $4,648 in the early Pick Five which begins in race one on the matinee card. First post time is noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Jessica Hallett

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

Young pacer Primo Uomo (Heston Blue Chip) has begun his season on a tear at Saratoga Casino Hotel on a day in which his connections scored a double. The three year old who had a win and a second in his two starts as a freshman in 2022 rolled to his fourth consecutive victory on Monday afternoon at the Spa. Primo Uomo prevailed in his final start of ’22 and is now three-for-three to begin his sophomore campaign as the Dave Dewhurst trainee impressed once again this week scoring a career-best 1:55.1 win in a $8,700 race for young colts and geldings. The public’s odds-on favorite had the task of battling young pacer Boozer (Brett Beckwith) who came to town two-for-two after recording decisive victories at Monticello. Returning to the stable of last year’s leading trainer Melissa Beckwith, Boozer wound up sitting the pocket to Primo Uomo who was powerful in the stretch before registering a lifetime best win. Jimmy Devaux piloted Primo Uomo to victory for Dewhurst who has gotten his season off to a strong start and owners Chris and Dale Lawton. Devaux and Dewhurst teamed up later in the card for another youngster who recorded his third consecutive victory on Monday. City Of Hope (Met’s Hall) cruised out of the pocket to prevail and, like stablemate Primo Uomo, move his 2023 record to three-for-three.

Racing scheduled for Tuesday has been cancelled due to the impeding winter storm. Live racing continues on Saturday evening with a post time of 5 p.m.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Jessica Hallett

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York