Simple Kinda Man and driver Jim Devaux won the first Sunday feature of the year in 1:51. Simple Kinda Man is trained by Brett Derue.

Melissa Simser

Pammy Jo (Roll With Joe) sprung the big time upset in Wednesday’s feature at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The Melissa Beckwith-trained distaffer drew the rail for her try in the $15,000 Fillies and Mares Open and Brett Beckwith piloted the longshot. With the favorite carving out first-half fractions of 27 and 56 seconds, Pammy Jo sat patiently in fourth throughout the majority of the mile before swinging to the outside past three-quarters. With the favorite tiring, a host of challengers swarmed in. Pammy Jo emerged from out of a crowd in the stretch to hit the wire first in 1:53.4 to record her third win of the year and her first in the local Open. Thats Incredible (Shawn Gray) came from off the pace to be the runner-up, hitting the board for the third straight try in the local feature for the ladies, while Bontz N (Wally Hennessey) earned the show spot. Pammy Jo sprung the big upset while dismissed at odds of 24-1 paying $50.00 to win in the biggest upset the Open has seen this season. She led an exacta and triple that returned $185 and $512, respectively. Pammy Jo is owned by Jeff Epstein of Framingham, MA. The victory behind Pammy Jo was the second Open win at the Spa in the young career of 18 year old Brett Beckwith and the first for him in the Fillies and Mares Open. Beckwith also piloted Beauty Is Blind (Betterthancheddar) to a score in a $10,500 race for fillies and mares on Wednesday as the strong rookie campaign continues for the young reinsman.

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

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino

For the second week in a row and the eighth time this season, Cash Me Out (Cash Hall) won the local Open Trot on Tuesday afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The Kyle Spagnola trainee moved his career earnings to over the $1.3 million mark after recording his 67^th lifetime victory. Drawing post eight for the Tuesday installment of the $15,000 Open, Cash Me out flashed early speed and cruised to the top. Though the ten year old had to work hard to get the lead in a first quarter of 27.2, driver Phil Fluet gave him a breather before reaching the half in 57.2.  With the favored Bridge Works (Wally Hennessey) getting the pocket ride, Cash Me Out fended off a challenge from Gettin Messi (Chris Long) around the final turn before holding off Bridge Works in the stretch to prevail in 1:55.2, a seasonal best-matching win time. Cash Me Out’s victory came in what was his 250^th career race so it was only fitting that the former Trotter of the Year at the track (at the current favorite for the honor once again this season) added another win to his tally on Tuesday. Dismissed at odds of 9-1, Cash Me Out paid $21.20 in his most recent victory and led an exacta with the favored Bridge Works second that came back $61. The triple with Gettin Messi hanging on for third returned $303. Cash Me Out is owned by Mike Traylor of Ballston Spa, NY.

Live racing continues on Wednesday afternoon with a matinee starting at Noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino

Winning the Open Pace at Saratoga Casino Hotel this year is nothing new to the Scheigert Racing Stable, trainer Amanda Kelley and driver Greg Merton. That tandem has teamed up to win the featured race for pacers four times this year with their Some Waratah A. In recent weeks, it’s been a different member of the Kelley stable who has been competing in the $15,000 Saturday night feature. Lake Charles (Well Said) finished third last weekend and on Saturday night, the four year old drew the rail for his most recent try in the Open Pace. Merton was aggressive with Lake Charles and cut the mile with the 8-1 shot in the betting. After moving through a quick first quarter of 27.2, Lake Charles got a breather before reaching the half in 57 seconds. The favorite charged up first-over but was rebuffed by the gutsy Lake Charles who held off a late charge in the stretch from last week’s Open winner Quagmire Bluechip (Brett Beckwith) as well as Sports Obsession (Shawn Gray) to secure his first ever victory in the local Open. The win, which came in 1:52.4, was the third of the season for the Kelley trainee. Quagmire Bluechip finished second to extend his “on the board” streak in the Open to five straight while Sports Obsession earned the show spot. Lake Charles paid $18.20 to win in the upset and led an exacta and triple in the six-horse feature that returned $189 and $589, respectively. The win was one of three for Amanda Kelley and Greg Merton who also scored victories with their Our Corelli N (Bettor’s Delight) and Fox Valley Inferno (Sportsmaster) who each went wire-to-wire in conditional paces on Saturday.

Live racing will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon next week with matinees beginning at noon. Sunday racing will start up next weekend (Sept 12) with action also kicking off at noon. In his final start of August, Talking Tom broke his maiden with Jimmy Devaux in the sulky, a win that would break the seal for the improved pacer. He went on to rattle off three consecutive

Mike Sardella

Photo: Cheyanne Mandy

Luck B Mine (Bettor’s Delight) has been razor sharp at Saratoga Casino Hotel of late and on Tuesday afternoon, the John Podres trainee continued her hot streak. Luck B Mine drew post eight in her $10,500 race for filly and mare pacers but as she did last week, the four year old mare flashed early speed to overcome her outside post. Driver Larry Stalbaum found a spot in mid-pack for Luck B Mine who surged into third past three quarters before ducking in behind the dueling leaders. The sharp mare closed up the inside and tracked down front-running North Country (Billy Dobson) and the favored So Diva (Brett Crawford) to score her third win in her last four starts doing so in 1:56. Owned by Steve Guido of Cicero, NY and Don Stockwell of Hudson Falls, NY, Luck B Mine has now finished first or second in five consecutive races and earned over $20,000 in those starts. So Diva finished second while North Country earned the show spot. Luck B Mine, who paid $6.80 to win on Tuesday, led an exacta and triple that returned $14.60 and $92, respectively.

Live racing resumes on Saturday evening at Saratoga with a first post set for 6:45pm.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino

Cash Me Out did what Cash Me Out does on Monday afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The ten year old veteran recorded yet another victory in the Open Trot in the matinee’s feature. The winningest horse in the Open over the course of the last several seasons, Cash Me Out left at the start but got shuffled a bit in a first half that went in a sizzling 55.4. The longshot leader Gigfy (Alek Chartrand) began to tire around the final turn and when pocket sitter Bold Creation (Jimmy Devaux) slid to the outside, Cash Me Out closed sharply up the rail and came on to win in 1:56.4. Bold Creation, the longest shot on the board, finished second while Gigfy held on for third. Cash Me Out continues to pile up wins in the Open Trot as the veteran added to his $1.29 million in career earnings with his ninth victory of 2021. Mike Traylor, of Ballston Spa, NY, owns the millionaire who won for the 66^th career time. Cash Me Out paid $7.80 to win and led an exacta and triple that came back $99.50 and $376, respectively. The win for the classy trotter in the $15,000 Open was his seventh at the Spa this season to lead all highsteppers. Kyle Spagnola trains the local superstar whose next start will be the 250^th of his illustrious career. The score in the feature was one of two on the card for Spagnola whose Ledges (Brett Crawford) was a repeat winner on Monday. Phil Fluet whose win with Cash Me Out was one of the reinsman’s three on the card. Fluet guided his trainees Askmenoquestions and Screamer to scores. Both of those trotters are owned by Michael Woodward of Oakfield, NY.

Live racing continues on Tuesday afternoon at Saratoga. There will be a carryover of $3,638 in the Pick Five pool on Tuesday. The Pick Five is a 50 cent wager and begins in the matinee’s first race at noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino

Young reinsman Brett Beckwith has enjoyed a solid freshman season in the sulky at Saratoga Casino Hotel this year and on Saturday night, the 18 year old drove his first winner in a local Open. Beckwith has been the regular pilot for Quagmire Bluechip (Art Major) throughout the summer and the five year old has enjoyed some success in the Open Pace at the Spa. Coming into Saturday’s try in the $16,000 Open, Quagmire Bluechip had a two second-place finishes and a pair of thirds in his last six starts. Almost every week, he has been a longshot in the feature. In Saturday’s nine-horse Open, Quagmire Bluechip did what he always does and took back in the early going. The favorite was on the front-end and faltered opening the door for a host of closers to have a shot in the stretch. When the dust settled, it was Quagmire Bluechip who reigned supreme stopping the timer in a lifetime-best 1:53 to give Beckwith his first career victory in a local Open. Dismissed at odds of 14-1, Quagmire Bluechip paid $30 to win and led an exacta with fellow longshot Machiatto A (Jay Randall) that came back $228.50. The triple was completed by Lake Charles (Greg Merton) and returned a hefty $2,538 in a race which was a longshot bettor’s delight. Quagmire Bluechip, whose win was his fifth of the year, is owned by the Abbott and Costello Stable of Clinton, NY and trained by Janice Connor.

The co-featured Fillies and Mares Open went the way of Robyn Camden (Art Professor). The Rob Harmon-trained distaffer has always thrived when she’s come to town, winning at a high percentage whenever she ships into the Spa to compete in the Open over the course of the last few years. On Saturday, she left a bit in the six-horse Open for the ladies and got away fourth before following the live cover of Miss Irish Rose A (Larry Stalbaum) past the half. After Miss Irish Rose A cleared the lead, Robyn Camden set her sights on the new leader and gunned her down in the stretch to record the victory in 1:53.4. It was win number six on the season for Robyn Camden who is owned by Jason Osullivan of Dublin, Ireland. Robyn Camden was driven to victory by Jay Randall who came up just shy of sweeping the double feature after finishing second in the “boys” Open with Machiatto A.

Live racing resumes on Monday afternoon at Saratoga with a first post time of noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Cheyanne Mandy

Trainer Andy Gardner had a big day on Tuesday afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The young trainer is the midst of a big season at the Spa and his growing stable had another strong afternoon on the Tuesday matinee. All Speed Rising (All Speed Hanover) was claimed by Gardner last month immediately paid dividends winning her debut out of her new barn. The six year old mare drew post two in Tuesday’s $11,000 featured races for distaffers. Billy Dobson piloted All Speed Rising who sat back a bit early in a first lap that saw a couple of lead changes. The top-flight reinsman made his move heading to three quarters and wound up getting the better of front-running Bontz N(Wally Hennessey) around the final turn. All Speed Rising forged to the front and wound up hanging on in the stretch to record her third victory of the season and her second since joining the Gardner stable, stopping the timer in a career-best 1:54.1. Longshot Onspeed N (Alek Chartrand) came from last and almost reeled the winner in under the shadow of the wire but came up second-best at odds of 39-1. Bontz N held third. All Speed Rising paid $16.40 to win on a day that saw several big upsets at the Spa. The exacta paid $251.50 while the triple came back $1,391. The up-and-coming trainer completed a training double when his Saylavie Bluechip (Art Major) broke her maiden in 1:57.4 with leading driver Jimmy Devaux in the sulky. Gardner had a pair of second-place finishes in addition to the two victories in what was a big day for the 38 year old conditioner.

Live racing resumes on Saturday evening at Saratoga with a first post time set for 6:45pm.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino

There were three divisions of the New York Sire Stakes for two year old trotting colts and geldings that took place on Monday’s matinee at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The three races, which each went for a purse of more than $46,000, were highlighted by a showdown between two trotters in one of the divisions that each came into the day undefeated. Justice (Chapter Seven-Religulous-Muscles Yankee) came into Monday’s try two-for-two for trainer/driver Ake Svanstedt. The freshman faced the toughest task of his young career as he took on the Jim Campbell-trained Cool Papa Bell (Jason Bartlett) who was three-for-three heading into Monday’s tilt. Svanstedt moved Justice, who was bet down to odds of 1-9, right out to the early lead and enjoyed pretty leisurely fractions with Cool Papa Bell stalking him from the pocket throughout. Justice trotted his back half in 58 seconds and needed every tick of it to hold off Cool Papa Bell who surged in the stretch before coming up shy by a head in a mile clocked in 1:58.1. Justice moved his career earnings to over the $63,000 mark in just three lifetime starts for owners Ake Svanstedt, Torbjorn Swahn, Myfab, and Little E.

The second division of the afternoon saw the biggest upset among the Sire Stakes races on Monday. Valentine Express (Chapter Seven- Cantata- Donato Hanover) got the pocket ride behind the favored Quincy Market (Corey Callahan) in the five-horse NYSS event. Valentine Express rode the coattails of the two-time Sire Stakes winner throughout before powering past him in the stretch to record the biggest win of his young career. Coming into the race with less than $2,000 in earnings, Valentine Express earned the winner’s share of the $47,067 purse for owners Salvatore Vullo and James De Armond of New York. Valentine Express, who is trained by Jessica Okusko, scored in 1:59.4.

The final division of the day went to Molotov Cocktail (Chapter Seven-Moonlight Cocktail-Kadabra) who never had an anxious moment before stopping the timer in 1:58.3. The two year old trotter came in off an eleven length victory at Batavia which was the second win in NY Sire Stakes competition in his freshman campaign. The public’s 1-2 betting favorite on Monday coasted to a wire-to-wire victory with Brian Sears in the sulky. Molotov Cocktail is owned by Richard Gutnick and Gary Cocco of PA in partnership with Thomas Pontone of Holmdel, NJ and trained by Linda Toscano.

Live racing continues on Tuesday afternoon featuring a carryover of $3,872 in the Pick Five pool starting in the first race which is set for noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino

Surreal Feeling (So Surreal) brought her talents back to Saratoga Casino Hotel on Saturday night and the pacing mare who has made winning a habit at the Spa added another victory to her collection in the evening’s co-feature. Surreal Feeling has raced at Yonkers and Pocono Downs in recent months and has thrived but her successes at Saratoga have been stark this season. The Dale Lawton-trained distaffer was the 1-5 betting favorite in the Fillies and Mares Open on Saturday, a race that served as the co-feature along with the $15,000 Open Pace for the boys. Driver Alek Chartrand moved Surreal Feeling out early but had to settle into fourth position in the six-horse co-feature before pulling her first-over approaching the half mile pole. The six year old mare took it from there and despite racing overland in a 27.3 third quarter powered past the leader before drawing away in the stretch to win by a measured length and a quarter in 1:53.3. Earlier this season, Surreal Feeling put in a track record-matching performance as she scored in a dazzling 1:51.3 to tie the previous mark for fastest of any aged pacing mare in the 80 year history of racing at Saratoga. On Saturday, Surreal Feeling won the local Open for the sixth time this season and for the fourth consecutive start in it. Thats Incredible (Shawn Gray) finished second while Pammy Jo (Mark Beckwith) earned the show spot. Surreal Feeling, who is co-owned by Chris Lawton and her trainer Dale Lawton, has hit the board in all nineteen of her starts this year in what has been a masterful campaign for the talented mare.

The $15,000 Open Pace for the boys went to Crockets Cullen N (Christian Cullen) who scored for the third time in his last four starts in the feature for colts and geldings. Crockets Cullen N is the winningest horse in the local Open Pace over the course of the last three seasons but didn’t have a win in the Saturday feature before scoring on July 31^st. The ten year old veteran went coast-to-coast last Saturday (Aug 14) and had little difficulty doing the same in this weekend’s installment of the Open Pace as he overcame a 26.4 first quarter on the lead to prevail in 1:52.2 for owner/trainer/driver Larry Stalbaum. Quagmire Bluechip (Brett Beckwith) was the runner-up in the Saturday co-feature while Odds On Brexit (Jimmy Devaux) earned the show spot in his Open debut. The exacta and triple with the 9-5 second-choice in the wagering on top paid $35.40 and $116.50, respectively. The win was one of three on the night for Stalbaum as both a trainer and driver as his Itsonlyrocknroll A and Union Station also secured Saturday scores.

Live racing resumes on Monday afternoon with a matinee beginning at Noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Cheyanne Mandy