There were two divisions of the Step Up To The Plate Claiming Series for trotters that served as co-features on the Monday afternoon card at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The winners of the two divisions from last week’s (March 13) first leg squared off with each other on Monday as Esa and The Royal Poze slugged it out for their share of the $22,500 leg two purse. Esa, who was claimed out of leg one, went coast-to-coast to score in that start but on Monday wound up having to move first-over on his race’s favorite JNR Express (Jay Randall). Esa fought gamely before wearing down the favorite to score in 1:56.1. It was the fourth victory of the season for Esa who was again claimed on Monday and will head into leg three of the series under the guidance of yet another set of new connections. JNR Express was the runner-up for the third consecutive week while leg one winner The Royal Poze (Jimmy Devaux) came on to finish third. All three of the top finishers from this division were claimed on Monday.

The other division of the second leg of the series went the way of Live Well Lived (Muscle Mass). Claimed out of leg one by trainer Kevin McDermott, Life Well Lived drew the rail and controlled the action from start to finish to pay immediate dividends for his new connections. Shawn Gray sat behind the nine year old trotter who proved to be a decisive winner in 1:57.2 as his race’s odds-on favorite. Mr Cool Seaeyre N (Brett Beckwith) made a break in the early going and still toughed it out to finish second while First Gunner (Billy Dobson) earned the show spot. Leg three of the Step Up To The Plate Claiming Series for trotters will take place next on Monday (March 27) with the Final scheduled for the following week.

Leg one of the Step Up To The Plate Claiming Series for fillies and mares takes place on Tuesday afternoon highlighting the 13-race matinee that is set to begin at noon.

Photo: Jessica Hallett

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

The Step Up To The Plate Claiming Series for trotters got underway on Monday afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The first of three legs of the series that lead up to the final next month featured two divisions that each went for a purse of $20,000. Jordan Derue trains and drives Esa (E L Titan) who was the odds-on favorite in the first division on Monday. Derue marched the seven year old out to the early lead as rival JNR Express (John Stark Jr) gave way to sit the pocket. That pair drew away from its rivals in the stretch before Esa held on to win it by a head in 1:57.1 to record his third victory of the season. Both Esa and JNR Express, who came up second best, were claimed out of leg one. Mr Cool Seaeyre N (Brett Beckwith) finished third.

The other division saw a different Derue score a win as trainer Brett Derue’s The Royal Poze (RC Royalty) set a lifetime mark on Monday. Drawing the rail in his five-horse $20,000 division, The Royal Poze gave way briefly to Life Well Lived (Shawn Gray) in the early going before retaking the lead approaching the opening quarter. The race’s 4-5 favorite in the wagering never looked back before stopping the timer in a career-best 1:56.2. Invader Fair Glider (Jay Randall) finished second while Life Well Lived held on to be third and was claimed from leg one of the series.

Live racing is canceled for Tuesday afternoon at Saratoga with a winter storm set to hit the area.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Jessica Hallett

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

Gary Levine won the training title at Saratoga Casino Hotel in 2020 and has been a force among local conditioners for the better part of the last decades. On Monday afternoon, Levine’s stable had six of its participants compete at the Spa on an afternoon in which the former leading trainer enjoyed a significant amount of success. Levine scored two wins, a pair of seconds and a third place finish on the Monday card. His pair of young trotters No Mo Fashion (Crescent Fashion) and Cash In The Bank (Dover Dan) recorded their first local victories on the matinee card as both trotters went coast-to-coast with Billy Dobson in the sulky. No Mo Fashion shook his “seconditis” when after being the runner-up in five consecutive starts, he set a new lifetime mark on Monday stopping the timer in 2:01.1. Cash In The Bank completed the Monday double for Levine. Another young trotter from his stable T Rex Blue Chip was the runner-up to hit the board for the third straight week since joining the Levine barn. Veteran pacers Major Makover and Gunrneedabgrboat A finished second and third, respectively, in what was a big day for the Spa’s former top conditioner who has started out his season right back near the top of the trainer standings.

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

Mike Sardella

Photo: Jessica Hallett

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

Ima Happy Fella GB (Rogue Hall) was ultra-impressive in winning his local debut on Monday afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The invader came in as a winner of four races in six tries since joining the Rob Harmon stable late last year. The UK-bred pacer was the public’s odds-on favorite in Monday’s $11,000 feature for pacers and looked every bit the part. Driver Jay Randall moved him out to the early lead and never looked back as the impressive invader scored a decisive victory in 1:54.3 at odds of 1-5.

A winner of nine of sixteen starts in 2022 between his U.S. races and those overseas, Ima Happy Fella GB has now rattled off three victories in his first four starts in ’23. The six year old gelding is owned by Spriggs, Muggleston and the Harmon Racing Stable. The strong group of rivals that were defeated on Monday include Third Edition (Leon Bailey) who was the runner-up, and Aerosmith Hanover (Shawn Gray) who finished third after coming into the race two-for-two on the year.

Live racing continues on Tuesday afternoon with a matinee beginning at noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Jessica Hallett

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

Newsy N (Bettor’s Delight) finished second in her lone start in the local Fillies and Mares Open last year at Saratoga Casino Hotel. On Monday afternoon, the six year old New Zealand import drew post three and was installed as the morning line favorite for her try in the $17,000 feature for distaffers. Ron Cushing powered the talented mare out to the front end as she worked hard in lap one covering the first half in 57.1 before being met with the challenge of the race’s 3-5 betting favorite Wahs Fire Bug N (Jimmy Devaux) who came powering up alongside the leader past the half.

Those two squared off, trading strides for close to a half mile before Newsy N proved best in a mile clocked in 1:54.3. Wahs Fire Bug N was a game second while Fond Memories A (Larry Stalbaum) earned the show spot. Newsy N paid $7.80 to win as the second choice in the wagering leading an exacta with the favorite second that returned $20.60. The triple came back $73. Newsy N is co-owned by Ron Cushing and Kevin Sywyk and
trained by Heidi Gibbs.

Live racing resumes on Saturday evening at Saratoga with a first post time of 5pm. There will be a carryover in the early Pick Five of $2,311. Each race card now features two Pick Fives, one made up of the first five races on the card and the other comprising the final five races on the program.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Jessica Hallett

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York