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

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

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

Hestherightstuff (American Ideal) took the first-over journey to the winner’s circle in Saturday’s feature at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Gary Levine, the 2020 leading trainer at the Spa, is the conditioner for Hestherightstuff who has done the majority of his damage this year while competing out of town. Enjoying success at both the Meadowlands and Tioga Downs, Hestherightstuff came into Saturday’s try in the Open Pace off a fourth-place finish in last week’s feature. Driver Billy Dobson pulled Hestherightstuff first-over in Saturday’s installment of the $15,000 Open and the six year old pacer just kept grinding on the outside before wearing down the race favorite who gave way around the final turn. Hestherightstuff’s tenacious effort was rewarded when he hit the line first in 1:54 to record his first ever Open win at the Spa. In what was the 50^th start of his career, Saturday’s victory was the 20^th lifetime win for Hestherightstuff. Seventh Secret (Jimmy Devaux), who upset in last weekend’s Open Pace while dismissed at odds of 89-1, again came from last this week and closed to finish second while Soul Assassin (Mitch Cushing) earned the show spot. Hestherightstuff’s Open score was one of two on the night for Levine, who owns the speedy pacer, and one of four for Dobson who enjoyed a four-win evening despite having just seven drives on the card. Early in the evening, the pair teamed up for a victory with young pacer Lyleground who matched his lifetime-best win time of 1:55 with a front-running score in a $8,000 race for colt and gelding pacers.

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

Shallow (Up The Credit) has spent much of her last few months racing against the top lady pacers both at Plainridge Park and at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The Andy Gardner trainee finished second in the local Open for fillies and mares two weeks ago (Sept 11) but dropped in company off a sixth-place effort in last week’s ladies feature. Following a scratch on Monday, Shallow inherited the rail for her try in an $11,500 conditional race which served as the feature on the matinee card. Billy Dobson piloted the five year old mare who earned over $100,000 in her breakout 2022 campaign. Dobson moved Shallow out to the early lead where she would remain untested in a first half that went in 57.4. Her race’s odds-on betting favorite, Shallow kicked away from her rivals turning for home en route to victory in 1:54.3. Following up a twelve-win ’22 campaign, the five year old distaffer’s Monday score was just her third this season. Pocket-sitter HS Shauna (Luke Hanners) is in the midst of a terrific three-month stretch and continued her hot streak by finishing second to the favorite in Monday’s feature while Fond Memories A (Brett Beckwith) earned the show spot. Shallow is owned by Room4040 LLC Stables of Yorktown, NY.

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

Mike Sardella

Photo: Jessica Hallett

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

Seventh Secret made his Open debut at Saratoga Casino Hotel earlier in the month and the veteran hit the board in two of his three starts in the regular Saturday feature heading into this weekend’s action. On Saturday, the Lisa Zabielski-trained twelve year old drew post eight for his try in the $15,000 Open Pace. Jimmy Devaux piloted Seventh Secret who was dismissed at eye-popping odds of 89-1 in what appeared on paper to be a wide-open feature. The action was hotly contested from the start in the feature as Seventh Secret got away last and was close to a dozen lengths away behind the leader in the opening quarter. While the deficit began to close a bit for the Zabielski trainee in the race’s middle half when three-quarters came up in 1:24, Seventh Secret remained eighth and last at that point. Closing on the far outside but still sixth at the top of the stretch, Seventh Secret hit his best strides and completed a swoop of the group by storming home in the race’s fastest final quarter before coming on to win in 1:53. A win mutuel of $181.50 resulted in the major shocker that saw Im No Outlaw N (Jay Randall) finish second and Pickup Man Hanover (Luke Hanners) earn the show spot. A $2 exacta returned $2,398 while a 50 cent triple came back a hearty $5,512.50. Seventh Secret, who is owned by Mark Salerno of Felton, DE, now owns 39 career victories and more than $627,000 in lifetime earnings. The win was one of four on the evening for leading driver Jimmy Devaux and one of a three for Zabielski who scored later in the night with her Datguyna Greensuit (Bettor’s Delight) and Juxlivin My Dream (Relentless Yankee) who each went wire-to-wire with Devaux in tow.

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

Mike Sardella

Photo: Jessica Hallett

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

Always Watching (He’s Watching) became the second distaffer to win the Fillies and Mares Open four times this season at Saratoga Casino Hotel when on Monday, Jordan Derue’s talented five year old went coast-to-coast in the $15,000 feature. Always Watching has hit the board in every one of her starts dating back to early summer and on Wednesday, she survived a win photo to prevail over a sloppy track. Derue owns, trains and drives Always Watching who moved out to the front-end and carved out first-half fractions of 27 and 56 seconds. The co-second choice in the wagering at odds of 5-2, Always Watching was tracked every step of the way by the race’s favorite Oaxacan Dream N (Jimmy Devaux) who drew even in the stretch with the leader before coming up just shy in a close photo for win. Always Watching stopped the timer in 1:53.2 for her fifth victory of the year and fourth in the local Open. Oaxacan Dream N completed a $26.40 exacta while American Tour N (Wally Hennessey) rounded out a $141.50 triple. Always Watching, an earner of over $100,000 in 2022, is well on her way to another six-digit campaign in ’23. Her fourth score in the ladies’ Open matches La Bella Vita N for most for any mare this season at the Spa.

Live racing resumes on Saturday evening with a first post time of 5pm. There will be a $2,649 carryover in the early Pick Five, a wager that begins in the first race.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Jessica Hallett

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York