Invader Milieu Hanover (Betting Line) made her Saratoga Casino Hotel debut a winning one in Monday’s feature. Nick Devita trains the five year old who came into her try in the $17,000 Fillies and Mares Open a winner of back-to-back races but after being off close to a month. Milieu Hanover came from the back of a condensed pack of six distaffers on Monday and driver Brett Beckwith tipped her to the far outside past the three-quarter pole. The out-of-towner came charging home in the stretch and drew away to prevail by two and a quarter lengths in a final time of 1:54. The third consecutive win for Milieu Hanover was her fifth on the season in ten starts. The Open winner paid $9.00 to win as she bested the favored Our Lady Lara A (Jimmy Devaux), who brought a six-race undefeated local streak into the Monday feature but had to settle for second-best. Always Watching (Jordan Derue) earned the show spot. The exacta and triple in the ladies’ Open came back $20.40 and $84.50, respectively. Milieu Hanover is owned in partnership by Hamm, Giaccio and Devita Racing Stable, Inc.

Live racing will resume on Saturday evening at Saratoga and will feature a carryover of $3,917 in the early Pick Five. The Pick Five begins in Saturday’s first race which is set for 5pm.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Jessica Hallett

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

Trainer Andy Sardella has seen a stable star emerge for him this season as Northern Luxury (Northern Luck) has gone on a springtime tear at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Northern Luxury rattled off five consecutive victories spanning the month of May and heading into June. The five year old mare graduated out of the class of her dominance and wound up getting parked the mile the following week.

On Monday, Northern Luxury drew post three for her try in the $12,500 feature for fillies and mares. Regular reinsman Phil Fluet sat behind the Sardella-trained distaffer and got a cover trip with her on Monday. The 2-1 second-choice in the wagering tracked down the favorite who was on the front end en route to her ninth victory in fifteen seasonal starts.

Longshot So Diva (Chris Long) closed up the rail to finish second while the favored American Tour N (Wally Hennessey) held on to finish third. Northern Luxury paid $6.90 to win as she stopped the timer in 1:54.3 for owner Billy Grass of Greenfield, MA. Sardella completed a training double on Monday when his HS Shauna (Up Front Charlie) went coast-to-coast with Chris Long in the sulky.

HS Shauna’s win, her fifth of the season, came in 1:55.4 in a $9,000 event for claiming pacing mares. HS Shauna is owned by Mike and Bill Pozefsky of New York.

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

With no Open Trot on the docket at Saratoga Casino Hotel, the $15,525 Winners Over for trotters served as the feature on Sunday afternoon. Melissa and Brett Beckwith have teamed up for five Open wins this season with their Angel Nation who won the most recently contested Open last Sunday (June 25).

This weekend saw the Beckwith’s Chapheart (Chapter Seven) go off as the favorite in the feature for high-steppers. Being the public’s top choice in the wagering is nothing different for the four year old Chapheart who was the odds-on favorite in each of his first five Saratoga starts, three of which saw him prevail. On Sunday, Brett Beckwith left a bit with Chapheart before winding up pulling the even money favorite first-over on leader Makadushin N Cheez (Jimmy Devaux).

Those two did battle for a half mile before Chapheart began to impose his will and grind the leader into submission before stopping the timer in 1:56 to record his fourth win in six local tries. Makadushin N Cheez held strong to be second while Gigfy (Alek Chartrand) earned the show spot. Chapheart paid $4.20 to win while going off at the biggest odds he’s been in any of his local tries.

He led an exacta and triple that returned $8.20 and $30.80, respectively. The victory, which came in 1:56, was one of three consecutive on the card for young reinsman Brett Beckwith who sits in second among local drivers in the 2023 campaign.

Chapheart is owned in partnership by Yannick Gingras of NJ and Fac Racing LLC of Scarsdale, NY.

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

Mike Sardella

Photo: Jessica Hallett

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

New York Sire Stakes action highlighted a fifteen race card on Saturday night at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Three year old colt and gelding pacers were featured on a night that featured a pair of $80,000+ stakes races for sophomore New York breds. Huntinthelastdolar (Huntsville-Eighthunrdolrbill-Bettor’s Delight) came to town off a lifetime-best 1:49.2 score in NYSS competition at Vernon Downs.

On Saturday, Wally Hennessey piloted Huntinthelastdolar for trainer Gregg Mcnair and sat behind the sophomore as he paced a sizzling first quarter in 26.3 before getting a significant breather and reaching the half in 56.3.

Huntinthelastdolar cruised to victory in 1:52.2 to record his second win in as many weeks. The three year old colt, who is owned by Gregg Mcnair, George Kerr and Bradley Grant of Ontario, Canada, was his race’s co-favorite at odds of 6-5. I Was Tricked (Braxten Boyd) finished second while Goldin Greatness (Jason Bartlett) earned the show spot in the $82,500 stakes event.

The $84,000 NYSS race went the way of Duval Street (Huntsville-Native Bride-Allamerican Native) who won the biggest race of his young career on Saturday night. Jason Bartlett piloted the Ed Hart-trained three year old who sat the pocket to Blue Hunt (Wally Hennessey) until evacuating the two-hole at the three quarter pole.

Duval Street overpowered that rival before pacing away to score by two and quarter lengths in a mile clocked in 1:52.4. Blue Hunt, the 8-5 second choice in the wagering, finished second to the 3-2 favorite on Saturday while Taste Of Honey (Brett Beckwith) was third best.

It was in a $20,000 Excelsior Series race on Saturday in which the fastest mile of the 2023 season at the Spa was paced as Storm The Court (Huntsville) scored in 1:51.4 with Jason Bartlett driving for trainer Mark Silva.

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

Sheikh Yabooty N (Big Jim) made her debut in the Fillies and Mares Open on Monday Saratoga Casino Hotel. The nine year old distaffer drew post position two for her try in the $17,000 ladies’ feature while coming off an impressive off-the-pace score in 1:53.3 in her last start. On Monday, she went off at odds of 5-1 and exhibited early speed to wind up sitting the pocket to the race’s odds-on favorite Probert (Brett Beckwith).

The fractions in the feature seemed to work to the favor of Probert who reached the half in a reasonable 57.1 and remained unopposed before Sheikh Yabooty N popped the pocket around the final turn. The Bob Leslie-trained nine year old surged up and past the favorite before drawing away to win for the third time six starts since coming to the Spa in May. Alittlesidehustl N (Jay Randall) worked her way up on the outside and, as she usually is, was a factor at the finish in the Open closing to be the runner-up on Monday.

American Tour N (Wally Hennessey), who, like the winner, was competing in the Open for the first time in her career, earned the show spot in a mile clocked in 1:54.1. Sheikh Yabooty N paid $12 to win in the mild upset and led an exacta and triple that returned $52.50 and $155.50, respectively.

The winner, who is owned by Robert Devine of Freehold, NJ, gave her trainer and driver a double on the card as the Bob Leslie-trained Dancethebigdance N set a lifetime mark prevailing in 1:55.2 with reinsman Mitch Cushing at the controls.

Live racing resumes on Saturday evening when the New York Sire Stakes for three year old pacing colts and geldings are featured on a fifteen race card. First post time is set for 5pm.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Jessica Hallett

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

Always Watching (He’s Watching) established herself as a top-flight mare last season at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Jordan Derue owns, trains and drives the distaffer who enjoyed a six-figure campaign in 2022 by way of ten wins, many of which came in the Fillies and Mares Open. The ’23 season didn’t start out as strong for the now-five year old although the mare did hit the board in the Open on a few occasions before dropping down in class to secure her first win of the season on April 18^th. Following that score, Always Watching moved back into Open company and rattled off her second consecutive victory when she wired the featured field of ladies. Ever since, Always Watching has hit the board in each of her starts leading up into Monday’s try in the $17,000 Fillies and Mares Open.

Derue’s top distaffer was the public’s 8-5 betting favorite on the Memorial Day matinee and wasted little time moving out to the front-end. Cruising unopposed through a fast first half in 55.4, Always Watching wound up powering away from her rivals turning for home en route to her third win of the year and second in the Open. The final time on a beautiful afternoon in the Spa City was 1:53.2 for a much-the-best Always Watching. Fond Memories A (Billy Dobson), last week’s Open winner, was the runner-up on Monday while Alittlesidehustl N (Jay Randall) came on to finish third. Always Watching paid $5.40 to win and led an exacta and triple that came back $35.20 and $78.50, respectively.

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

Mike Sardella

Photo: Jessica Hallett

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

It was a big afternoon for trainer Dave Dewhurst on Monday at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The veteran conditioner recorded a training hat trick including a pair of victories in spring series races. Following a day in which he scored wins in the Open Trot and the Winners Over for trotters, Dewhurst was led by Primo Uomo (Heston Blue Chip) who completed a sweep of the three legs of the Dr. Richard Frank Memorial Pacing Series. Primo Uomo was used hard to get to the lead in his $17,500 division of the series but after getting to the top in a first quarter of 27.1 held firm throughout en route to a 1:54.4 romp. The sophomore pacer’s win was his ninth in eleven seasonal starts as he will head into next week’s series final as the only horse to prevail in all three legs.

Dewhurst co-owns as well as trains City Of Hope (Met’s Hall) who went back-to-back in the John Mongeon Sr. Memorial Trotting Series behind a career-best 1:58.1 Monday score. After going coast-to-coast from post eight while dismissed at odds of 12-1 last week, City Of Hope again went the distance on the lead on Monday but this time as the public’s 4-5 betting favorite. City Of Hope is co-owned by Dewhurst and Philip Hale. That pair also saw its Defiant Lady set a new lifetime mark on Monday when she prevailed in 2:00 in a $9,500 conditional race for trotters. With the huge few days at the Spa, Dewhurst has surged into the top three in the local trainer standings. All three of Dewhurst’s Monday winners were piloted by the meet’s leading driver Jimmy Devaux.

Live racing continues on Tuesday at Saratoga with action beginning at noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Jessica Hallett

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

There were two divisions of the second leg of the Virginia O’Brien Memorial Pacing Series contested on Tuesday afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel and both legs saw their winners put in career-best efforts. Red Dirt Hot Shot (Pang Shui) lowered her lifetime mark by three seconds while pulling off a mild upset in her $15,000 division of the series for fillies and mares. Leading driver Jimmy Devaux powered Red Dirt Hot Shot up to the outside of her race’s heavy favorite Dance Ticket (Chris Long).

Virginia O’Brien Memorial Pacing Series leg one winner Dance Ticket fought gamely but was passed in the final strides by Red Dirt Hot Shot who stopped the timer in 1:54.3. Red Dirt Hot Shot, a leg one runner-up, paid $8 to win in the second leg while punching her ticket to the series final. The four year old mare is owned by Picarazzi, Bullard and her trainer Brett Derue.

Stay Jelly (Stay Hungry) went coast-to-coast in the other division of leg two on Tuesday. Brett Beckwith catch-drove the three year old filly for trainer Michelle Crawford and took advantage of the inside post position to cut the mile. The sophomore filly, who was a second-place finisher in the series’ first leg, wired the field in a lifetime best 1:57 on Tuesday beating rivals Vibrance (Steve Rybka) and Celia B Money (Wally Hennessey) who finished second and third, respectively. Stay Jelly is owned by Dragon Tales Farm of Burnt Hills, NY. Beckwith piloted three winners on the Tuesday card.

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

Trump De Vie (Devious Man) continued his magical run at Saratoga Casino Hotel on Monday afternoon. The Jackie Cantine-trained trotter has been simply sensational in 2023 and on Monday won for the seventh consecutive time when he parlayed a pocket trip to victory in leg two of the John Mongeon Sr. Memorial trotting series. Trump De Vie began his season in March by rattling off back-to-back scores after getting pocket rides but ever since, the three year old has been doing it in wire-to-wire fashion for Saratoga Hall of Fame driver Frank Coppola Jr. After paying $9.90 to win in his semi-upset in leg one, Trump De Vie was the betting public’s 3-5 favorite on Monday when he cruised past his race’s leader to prevail in 2:00.3 en route to moving his ’23 record to seven-for-seven. Coppola also piloted the Cantine-trained Sweet El Diablo to a Monday score as that young pacer rattled off his third straight victory for his red hot connections when he prevailed in a $9,500 pacing event on the matinee card.

The winner of the other $15,000 division of leg two of the John Mongeon Sr. Memorial Trot was City Of Hope (Mel’s Hall) who overcame post eight to secure the upset at odds of 12-1 with Jimmy Devaux piloting for trainer Dave Dewhurst.  City Of Hope’s score in the afternoon’s finale was the second on the day for his connections as Primo Uomo went wire-to-wire in his division of the Dr. Richard Frank Memorial pacing series on Monday. City Of Hope is owned in partnership by Dewhurst and Philip Hale.

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

Mike Sardella

Photo: Jessica Hallett

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

Nuttin But Finesse (Art Major) enjoyed a breakout season in 2022, one in which he won nine times and earned just shy of $90,000 en route to becoming a nominee for Pacer of the Year at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The Janice Connor trainee won the Open Pace twice in ’22 and began his 2023 campaign squaring off against the track’s top pacers again.

Nuttin But Finesse posted a third and a second-place finish in his two starts leading up into Saturday night’s try in the $17,000 Open Pace. Leon Bailey piloted the five year old who powered out to the early lead and enjoyed soft fractions in the first half of the feature, coasting through lap one in 57.4 before being confronted by a rival in what would be a sizzling third quarter of 26.4.

Nuttin But Finesse registered his third career win in the Saratoga Open when he hit the wire first in 1:53 in Saturday’s feature after drawing away from his rivals to score by a decisive four lengths. Im No Outlaw N (Jay Randall) sat the pocket to the winner and wound up as the runner-up while Uncle Jord A (Shawn Gray) earned the show spot.

Nuttin But Finesse paid $8.80 to win in the mild upset and led an exacta and triple that returned $71 and $181.50, respectively. The five year old is owned by the partnership of Connor, Stronka, Mc Gee and Lovett.

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