Rocknroll Runa A (Rock N Roll Heaven) won the final two installments of the Open Pace contested in 2023 at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Larry Stalbaum owns and trains the Aussie-bred invader who enjoyed a monster ’23 campaign that saw him earn more than $230,000 by way of thirteen wins. The first Open Pace of the 2024 was contested on Saturday evening on an opening day card that consisted of ten races. Rocknroll Runa A was moved to the lead in the early going by Stalbaum who sat behind his stable’s star in Saturday’s $15,000 feature.

The seven year old cruised unopposed through a first half in 57.1 but was challenged past three-quarters by Pickup Man Hanover (Shawn Gray) who popped the pocket to take on the favored leader around the final turn. Rocknroll Runa A proved up to the task as he stopped the timer in 1:53.3 to win the season’s first Open. Pickup Man Hanover settled for second best while Seventh Secret (Jimmy Devaux) earned the show spot. Rocknroll Runa A paid $3.50 to win and led an exacta and triple that returned $17 and $86.50, respectively.

Stalbaum completed a Saturday night double when his Crockets Cullen N prevailed in a $10,500 race for condition pacers. A former Pacer of the Year at the Spa, Crockets Cullen N made the first start of his thirteen year old season a winning one as he proved an impressive nearly three-length winner in a mile clocked in 1:55.

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

It was only fitting that Primo Uomo wrapped up his breakout year with his first career Open Pace victory on Saturday night at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The Dave Dewhurst trainee enjoyed a monster season in which he won the Dr. Richard Frank Memorial Pacing Series at the Spa this spring and continued to improve with every passing month.

The three year old joined the Open last month and finished second in his debut against the track’s top pacers. Following a third-place finish last week, Primo Uomo (Heston Blue Chip) started from post three for his try in Saturday’s final Open Pace of the 2023 campaign. Chris Long picked up the catch-drive behind the sophomore who showed speed to wind up in the pocket in the $15,000 feature.

The favored Willie Go West N (Brett Beckwith) set fast fractions of 27.1 and 56.4 on the front-end while Primo Uomo waited in the wings. Longshot East End (Billy Dobson), who debuted in the Open with a third place finish last week, came from well off the pace on Saturday and came motoring home before losing a photo with eventual winner Primo Uomo who stopped the timer in 1:54.2. Willie Go West N, the 2-5 public choice in the wagering, had to settle for the show spot. Primo Uomo’s win was his sixteenth of the year to put him among the top winning horses in North America.

Earnings from the Saturday score moved the Dewhurst trainee to a seasonal bankroll of just shy of $115,000. Primo Uomo paid $9.20 to win in the final Open Pace in ’23 and led an exacta and triple that returned $61.50 and $182, respectively. The super sophomore is owned by Chris and Dale Lawton of NY.

Live racing continues on Sunday afternoon with a matinee that serves as the final card for the 2023 season before racing resumes in early February. First post time Sunday is set for noon.

Mike Sardella

Jessica Hallett photo

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

Way Too Sweet (Rockin Image) won the Bunny Lake Pacing Series at Saratoga Casino Hotel last spring. The Andy Gardner-trained mare wound up taking home the Three Year Old Pacer of the Year Award in 2022 due in large part to her series win. The ’23 campaign didn’t begin really strong for the now four year old distaffer who only owned one win this season heading into November. Way Too Sweet started to find the winning way again prevailing in back-to-back races leading up to the Charlie Hoffman Pace which began on November 25^th.

Way Too Sweet rattled off another pair of victories in the two legs of the series which each went for a purse of $10,000. Leading driver Jimmy Devaux has gotten along well with the Gardner trainee and wasted little time moving her to the lead in Saturday’s $22,800 Charlie Hoffman Pace Final. The 1-2 favorite carved up first-half fractions of 28 and 58.1 and never faced a legitimate challenge until the stretch when pocket-sitter Yachtsman tried to pass up the inside.

Way Too Sweet proved to be way too tough for the competition as the race’s lone lady beat the boys stopping the timer in 1:55 for her sixth win of the year and the fifth in her last six starts. Yachtsman (Jay Randall) finished second to complete a $7.90 exacta while two-leg series winner Rock This Way (Brett Beckwith) earned the show spot to round out a $34.60 triple. Devaux, who is putting the finishing touches on his third straight driving title, won the Charlie Hoffman Pace for the second consecutive December. Way Too Sweet is owned by George Tackley of Syracuse and Wendy Storrier of Homer, NY.

Live racing continues on Sunday afternoon when the Bullet Bob Meyer Trotting Series Final reaches its conclusion with a $21,400 Final in the matinee’s fourth race. First post time is set for noon.

Mike Sardella recap

Jessica Hallett photo

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

The Jordan Derue-trained Mixed Emotion, a three-year-old colt by Real Desire, put in a career-best performance on Tuesday afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Derue sat behind Mixed Emotion who drew the rail in his $8,000 division of a non-winners of two race lifetime pace just two starts removed from winning while coming from off the pace.

Following a second-place finish last Tuesday (Nov 7), Mixed Emotion was the 3-5 betting favorite this week as he sat the pocket to rival Four Foot Gimme (Billy Dobson) who was fresh off a four-race stint in the Gary Kamal Memorial Pacing Series.

Four Foot Gimme was strong on the lead throughout and even drew away from Mixed Emotion for a bit while heading to the three-quarter pole. Those two paced away from their rivals around the final turn and in the stretch, Mixed Emotion got the better of Four Foot Gimme en route to a career-best 1:55 score.

It was the third victory on the season for the three year old Mixed Emotion who is owned by Derue, Ciuffetelli, Singh and the FBP Racing Stable. Four Foot Gimme was the runner-up to complete a $22.20 exacta while Yepyepyep (Phil Fluet) earned the show spot to wrap up a $69 trifecta.

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

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

Addison Hanover (Somebeachsomewhere) came to Saratoga Casino Hotel this summer to compete out of the stable of the meet’s leading trainer Brett Derue. Addison Hanover has been a winning machine since coming to the Spa and climbed the class ranks all the way up into the Open in recent weeks.

A beaten favorite when a third-place finisher in last Saturday’s (Nov 4) installment of the Open Pace, the Derue-trained five year old was once again heavily backed by the betting public in this week’s $15,000 feature. Driver Billy Dobson wasted little time moving the favorite to the lead quarter-moving Addison Hanover to take over from Talking Tom (Chris Long) in a 26.4 first quarter.

The favorite stood tall in a first half clocked in 56.1 before checking in at three quarters in 1:24.2. Feeling just mild pressure throughout, Addison Hanover powered away to win by better than two lengths while stopping the timer in 1:52.2, a new lifetime mark for the five year old. Talking Tom sat the pocket to finish second for the second consecutive week while Century Endeavor (Brett Beckwith) earned the show spot.

Addison Hanover paid $4.40 to win and led an exacta and triple that returned $9.40 and $23.60, respectively. The winner is owned by Picarazzi, Derue and Bullard who scored two victories on the card as their Squadron Seelster pulled off a mild upset earlier in the evening in a conditional race for pacers. Dobson piloted both Derue trainees to their Saturday scores.

Live racing continues on Sunday afternoon with a matinee set to kick off at noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Jessica Hallett

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

HP Mary Sunshine shone bright on a dark and rainy day in Saratoga Springs on Monday afternoon when the Francis Raia II-trained mare scored a big upset in the Bunny Lake Pace Final. A leg one winner in the series, HP Mary Sunshine, the four year old by Sunshine Beach flashed early speed in the $37,800 Final and wound up sitting the pocket to the favored Bri Express N (Jim McKneight Jr). Bri Express N was the 4-5 favorite while one week removed from being upset as the big favorite in her division of the third leg of the series.

The favorite traveled unopposed in a first half of 57.1 and braced for the late challenge from the race’s longshot, the 35-1 HP Mary Sunshine. It was HP Mary Sunshine who emerged victorious in a Series Final that was clocked in 1:55.1 over a track labeled ‘sloppy.’ Bri Express N came up second-best while leg three winner Premier Star (Brett Beckwith) earned the show spot. HP Mary Sunshine paid $72.50 to win as the longest shot on the board in the eight-horse Final and led an exacta and triple that returned $456 and $1514, respectively.

HP Mary Sunshine, who is owned by Rick’s Stable LLC of Fort Lauderdale, FL, adds her name to the list of Bunny Lake Pace winners which consisted of North Country and Way Too Sweet before Monday’s Series Final.

Live racing will resume on Saturday evening at Saratoga and will feature a carryover in the early Pick Five of $6,920. The Pick Five begins in the first race which is slated for 5pm.

Mike Sardella

Photo:  Jessica Hallett

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

The ninth annual Gary Kamal Memorial Pacing Series Final served as the Saturday feature at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Rock Solid Express (Huntsville) came in as the one to beat after prevailing in leg two and three of the series following a runner-up try in the first leg. Wally Hennessey has been piloting the Jessico Okusko-trained pacer and has thrived when sitting behind the speedy sophomore. Rock Solid Express was the public’s even money favorite in the $36,900 Final and wasted little time moving out to a 27.1 first quarter before getting a breather.

The three year old clicked off a first half in 57.3 and remained comfortable on the lead until pocket-sitting Twin B Kingston (Matt Athearn) moved to confront him around the final turn. Twin B Kingston was the runner-up to Rock Solid Express when they squared off in leg three and looked to be a big danger to the favorite in the stretch before having to settle for second-best when Rock Solid Express dug in to win in 1:54.1. The Okusko trainee moved his record to five-for-five when Hennessey has been in the sulky.

Twin B Kingston was the back-half of a $25.20 exacta while Hunky Hanover (Phil Fluet) rounded out a triple that paid $88.50. Rock Solid Express is owned by James De Armond and David Towne, both of New York.

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

Mike Sardella

Photo:  Cheryl Szczepkowski

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

Trainer Lisa Zabielski enjoyed a strong start to the Bunny Lake Pacing Series at Saratoga Casino Hotel on a Monday matinee in which she scored a training double. The card was highlighted by the first leg of the annual Bunny Lake Pace, a series for fillies and mares that started in 2021. The third installment of it got underway with three divisions on Monday. Zabielski’s Bri Express N (A Rocknroll Dance) had little difficultly recording her third consecutive victory going coast-to-coast with leading driver Jimmy Devaux in the bike. Bri Express N, her race’s 1-5 betting favorite in her $12,500 division of the Bunny Lake Pace, made it look easy stopping the timer in 1:55.1.

Zabielski’s Dancethebigdance N came into leg one of the series as perhaps the one to beat. The New Zealand invader is in the midst of a strong season at Saratoga and headed into the kickoff of the Bunny Lake Pace off a career-best 1:53.2 score. On Monday as the odds-on favorite in her division, Dancethebigdance N had to settle for second as longshot Monkeysea Monkeydo tracked her down in the stretch to win a photo in 1:55.2. Larry Stalbaum owns, trains and drives Monkeysea Monkeydo who was a beaten favorite in her first two local tries heading into Monday when she parlayed her pocket ride to the upset score while dismissed at odds of 30-1. Zabielski’s training double was completed later in the day when claiming pacer Meadowbrook Jenny went wire-to-wire with Devaux in the sulky, scoring in 1:54.4 to record her ninth win of the ’23 campaign.

The final division of leg one of the Bunny Lake Pace went the way of HP Mary Sunshine (Sunshine Beach), who was the fastest winner of the three divisions of the series, as she closed up the passing lane to stop the timer in 1:54.4. Brett Beckwith catch-drove HP Mary Sunshine for trainer Francis Raia II and sat the rail with the four year old who prevailed in a lifetime best 1:54.1 in the start leading up to Monday’s series debut. HP Mary Sunshine paid $11.60 in the mild leg one upset.

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

Mike Sardella

Photo: Jessica Hallett

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

Rocknroll Runa A (Rock N Roll Heaven) last won the Open Pace at Saratoga Casino Hotel back in February. After getting his season off to a strong start, the six year old has gone out of town and competed throughout much of the spring and summer for owner/trainer Larry Stalbaum. At one point this summer, Rocknroll Runa A rattled off three consecutive victories in the Yonkers Open Pace before competing in the Kane Invitational at Batavia. Following a win in the Batavia Open last week (Sept 30), it was back to the Spa on Saturday for the Stalbaum stable star who drew post seven in the seven-horse Open Pace. Stalbaum piloted Rocknroll Runa A in the $15,000 feature and left to find an early spot in fourth. The veteran reinsman was aggressive approaching the half and powered into the lead in a half mile that went in 56.2 over a track labeled ‘sloppy’. One of the two even-money shots in the Open, Rocknroll Runa A was asked to crank up the speed after clicking off three quarters in 1:24.3 and the response was instant. What resulted was win number nine on the season for the Aussie invader who stopped the timer in 1:52.3 and subsequently moved his 2023 earnings to over the $180,000 mark. Last week’s Open winner Hestherightstuff (Billy Dobson) closed well to be second on Saturday while even-money shot Moonshine Kisses (Jay Randall) powered home in the stretch to finish third. Rocknroll Runa A led an exacta and triple in the feature that paid $28 and $66, respectively.

Live racing continues on Sunday with a matinee set to begin at noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Jessica Hallett

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

Always Watching (He’s Watching) added another win to her growing tally on Monday afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Jordan Derue owns, trains and drives the talented distaffer who has been on a fantastic streak over the last few months. On Monday, Always Watching recorded her fifth victory of the year in Fillies and Mares Open as she set a new seasonal mark by wiring the field in 1:52.4. Derue was aggressive in the early going with the 11-1 longshot who cruised through a first half in 55.4 before being confronted by odds-on favorite Racine Bell (Jimmy Devaux) who took to the first-over path in pursuit of Always Watching. It was the Derue trainee, though, who dug in and fended off late bids by both Racine Bell and pocket-sitter Alittlesidehustl N (Brett Beckwith) en route to becoming the winningest mare in the Fillies and Mares Open this season at the Spa. Always Watching paid $24.80 in the upset. Alittlesidehustl N finished second to complete a $273 exacta while Racine Bell completed a $777 triple.

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

Mike Sardella

Photo: Jessica Hallett

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York