Demeter N (Art Major) went coast-to-coast to score her first victory in the Fillies and Mares Open at Saratoga Casino Hotel on Monday afternoon. Larry Stalbaum trains and drives the seven year old distaffer after acquiring her last month. In Monday’s $16,000 feature, Demeter N powered out to the early lead as the race’s 4-5 betting favorite.

Demeter N paced a leisurely first half of 58 seconds and then had plenty left to hold off a mild threat from pocket-sitting Shallow (Brian Cross) in the stretch. Last week’s Open winner Birch Island Betty had the daunting task of coming from last in a back-half that went in 55.4 before having to settle for third. Demeter’s 1:53.4 win time matched the seasonal-best clocking she set in April at Yonkers Raceway.

The exacta with Shallow second paid $15.40 while the triple completed by Birch Island Betty returned $47.20. Demeter N is owned by the Shark Racing Stable of Bainbridge, NY.

Live racing resumes on Friday evening starting at 6:45pm as the summer portion of the racing schedule gets underway. That schedule consists of Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening racing with first posts set for 6:45pm each night.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser

On Saturday evening, Lake Charles (Well Said) became the second horse to win as many as five Opens this season at Saratoga Casino Hotel when the Amanda Kelley trainee prevailed in the $16,000 Open Pace. Lake Charles powered out from post position five on Saturday to make the lead but was quickly confronted by the race’s favorite whose attempted quarter move was rebuffed.

The five year old sizzled through a first half in 55.1 before being met with the challenge of Apex Seelster (Jimmy Devaux) who hit the board in all four of his local starts heading into Saturday’s try in the feature. Lake Charles drew clear again in the stretch before hanging on to win in 1:52. Apex Seelster was a strong runner-up while longshot American Zest A (Larry Stalbaum) came on to finish third. Lake Charles paid $8.40 to win and led an exacta and triple that returned $42.20 and $435.50, respectively.

The victory was the fifth in Open company at the Spa this season for Lake Charles who matched pacing mare Chasethecloudsaway as the winningest Open horses in the 2022 campaign. Saturday’s winner is owned by Scheigert&Alliesracing LLC of Saratoga Springs, NY. 

Live racing continues on Sunday afternoon in Saratoga Springs and will feature a Pick 5 carryover of $1,374 with the Pick 5 beginning in the matinee’s first race. Post time is set for Noon.   

Mike Sardella 

Photo: Melissa Simser

Saratoga harness hosted the NYSS 2 year old trotting colts Friday night. The fastest of the four divisions was won by Crown, trained by Marcus Melander and driven to the win by Brian Sears. The maiden trotter by Chapter Seven won is first pari-mutuel start in 1:57.1

Live racing will continue at Saratoga Casino Hotel.

The Independence Day matinee featured two year old pacing fillies on Monday afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel. There were three divisions of the New York Sire Stakes for freshman fillies that each went for a purse of $51,300. Twin B Joe Fresh (Roll With Joe) was the fastest of the two year olds on the card as the Chris Ryder trainee made her Sire Stakes debut a winning one in 1:54.3. Jason Bartlett piloted Twin B Joe Fresh who won her lifetime debut at the Meadowlands in June while taking part in Geers competition. On Monday, the Ryder-trained up-and-comer cruised to a decisive score to move her record to two-for-two. She was the public’s 1-9 betting favorite in her $51,300 division.

Vivians Dream (American Ideal) was also a repeat winner on Monday as the Cory Mumford-trained filly was impressive for the second straight try in NYSS competition. Wally Hennessey picked up the catch-drive behind Vivians Dream who scored impressively in her debut at Buffalo Raceway and had little difficulty repeating. The final time for both wins to kick off her freshman campaign was 1:54.4. She was the 2-5 public choice in the wagering in her Spa debut.

The only mild upset of the trio of stakes races went the way of Ray Schnittker’s Hunting Season (Huntsville) who went coast-to-coast at odds of 5-2. The freshman filly came to town off a win at Pocono Downs and handled the move to the half-mile track with ease on Monday as she went wire-to-wire with Mark Macdonald at the controls. Hunting Season stopped the timer in 1:55.1 in her first Sire Stakes score. The freshman paid $7.10 to win as her race’s second choice in the wagering.

Live racing resumes on Friday evening at Saratoga when NY Sire Stakes action will again be featured as two year old colt and gelding trotters will highlight the thirteen-race card. First post time is set for 5PM.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser

Reign Of Honor won his second open trot this year with Shawn Gray in the bike on Sunday afternoon. He also earned a new lifetime mark on a half mile, trotting to the win in  1:55.2. Reign Of Honor is trained by Kevin McDermott.

Live racing will continue at Saratoga Casino Hotel, Saratoga Springs, NY.

Belmont Major N won Saturday night’s feature pace for trainer Amanda Kelley. Driver Leon Bailey steered the 6 year old gelding to the win in 1:51.3.

Live racing will continue at Saratoga Casino Hotel, Saratoga Springs, NY.

Rocket Mac, trained by Amanda Kelley and driven by Leon Bailey, won Friday night’s 7th race in 1:54.1.

Live racing will continue at Saratoga Casino Hotel, Saratoga Springs, NY.

Melissa Simser

Photo: Cheyanne Mandy

Vel Mr Nice Guy won Saratoga Casino Hotel‘s Saturday Night Open Pace in his first start at Saratoga for trainer Melissa Beckwith. The four year old gelding was driven to the win by Billy Dobson in 1:52.2

Watch live racing HERE.

In what has been a breakout season for her at Saratoga Casino Hotel, trainer Erica Chartrand secured a training double on Friday evening.  Chartrand’s (Conway Hall) had consistently finished first or second in the winners of two but not more than five class for trotters this spring before traveling out of town for a stint in the New York Sire Stakes. Debs Prince Hall was back to the Spa on Friday to compete in one of the $11,000 co-features for trotters and driver Alek Chartrand powered the talented three year old up first-over.

The gutsy sophomore fought gamely on the outside before wearing down the race’s leader and powering away to prevail by better than two lengths in 1:58.2. Debs Prince Hall, who is owned by Richard Vale of Cambridge, NY, has now finished first or second in five consecutive local starts. Team Chartrand teamed up for another win on Friday when their Valor (Always B Miki) broke his maiden while following the same path as stablemate Debs Prince Hall by taking the first-over journey to the winner’s circle. Valor’s first career score came in 1:55.4 to complete the double for Erica and Alek Chartrand. The three year old Valor is owned by Mike Moore of Old Westbury, NY.

Live racing continues on Saturday evening at Saratoga with first post time set for 5PM

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser

Two year old trotting fillies Canterbury Hanover (Chapter Seven-Charmed Life-Majestic Son) and Kayleigh S (Chapter Seven-Pasithea Face S- Muscle Hill) took center stage on Monday afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel as a pair of New York Sire Stakes races highlighted the twelve-race card. Most fillies were making their lifetime debut when they took part in the $78,700 and $77,300 co-featured races for the rookie trotters. Stablemates Canterbury Hanover and Kayleigh S recorded victories in the big races for trainer Marcus Melander and driver Brian Sears.

Canterbury Hanover had one solid qualifier as prep for her debut on Monday and cruised on the front end under the guidance of the Hall of Famer Sears in her NY Sire Stake race. Canterbury Hanover, the 4-5 betting favorite, cruised to a decisive score in her debut. The freshman filly was the fastest two year old of the day as she stopped the timer in 1:59. Canterbury Hanover is owned by Holly Lane Stud East LTD of Vero Beach, FL.

Kayleigh S also came in with one qualifier at the Meadowlands on her resume, one in which she showed some promise. Sears wasted little time moving to the front with the Melander trainee who held off just a mild challenge from the favorite in the stretch before scoring in 2:00.4 in the $77,300 NY Sire Stakes event for freshman fillies. Kayleigh S, who paid $5.80 to win as her race’s second choice in the wagering, is owned by Courant Inc. of Delray Beach, FL. While Sears won the two biggest races of the day, Jason Bartlett piloted three winners on the matinee card.

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

Mike Sardella

Photo:  Melissa Simser