Our Lady Lara A (Betterthancheddar) extended her local win streak to five at Saratoga Casino Hotel on Monday afternoon. The Amanda Kelley trainee remains undefeated at the Spa after stepping up in the Fillies and Mares Open for the first time and taking the field coast-to-coast. Our Lady Lara A powered out to the early lead in the Monday feature while being guided by the meet’s leading driver Jimmy Devaux. Devaux got a big-time breather for the Aussie invader who after going a first quarter in 27.3 reached the half in 57.4.

From there, it was over. Our Lady Lara A reported home a decisive winner in her first try in the Open for distaffers, stopping the timer in a career-best 1:53.4 to move her local record to five-for-five. Racey Rach N (Mitch Cushing) sat the pocket and finished second while Fond Memories A (Billy Dobson) endured a difficult first-over journey before earning the show spot. Our Lady Lara A was the 2-5 betting favorite in the $17,000 Open and led an exacta and triple in the feature that paid $14.20 and $50, respectively. The Open winner is owned in partnership by the S&K Misfit Racing Stable and VIP Internet Stable.

Live racing resumes on Saturday evening at Saratoga with a 15 race program highlighted by New York Sire Stakes action for three year old pacing fillies. 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 monster Monday at Saratoga Casino Hotel for trainer Dave Dewhurst who swept the two Series Finals contested on the matinee card en route to five total winners on the day. Primo Uomo was the public’s overwhelming betting favorite in Monday’s $39,400 Dr. Richard Frank Memorial Pace Final after secure victories in all three legs that led up to the Final. Primo Uomo wasted little time making the front in the Doc Frank Memorial and had little difficulty going coast-to-coast in a career-best 1:54.1 to complete his series sweep.

The victory was the tenth of the year already in just twelve seasonal tries for the three year old son of Heston Blue Chip. Longshot Aces Or Bettor (Mitch Cushing) won a place photo in the series’ conclusion while Astaires Arsenal (Billy Dobson), a two-leg winner in the series, earned the show spot. Primo Uomo is owned by Chris and Dale Lawton of New York.

Dewhurst didn’t have much time to celebrate his big win in the Doc Frank Memorial as Primo Uomo’s stablemate City Of Hope (Mat’s Hall) took to the track as the favorite in the John Mongeon Sr. Memorial Trotting Series Final in the race that followed the pacing Final. City Of Hope wound up as the 3-5 favorite in the wagering after winning consecutive times after making a leg-one break. Dewhurst’s regular reinsman Jimmy Devaux was at the controls and was content to get a pocket ride with City of Hope who pursued major danger Bourbon On Ice (John Stark Jr) every step of the way.

City Of Hope powered out of the two-hole on Monday to secure the biggest win of his young career when he stopped the timer in 1:58.3 to complete a five-win day for Dewhurs who co-owns City Of Hope with Philip Hale of New Hartford, NY. Devaux sat behind all five members of the Monday five-bagger for the veteran conditioner and added another pair of victories to his tally for the day, piloting seven winners in total on the matinee program.

Live racing continues on Tuesday afternoon and features the $38,800 Virginia O’Brien Memorial Pacing Series Final for fillies and mares. First post time for the matinee card is set for noon.

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

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

If Monday’s first leg was any indication of what’s to come, the first installment of the Dr. Richard Frank Memorial Pacing Series could set up to be a classic. A pair of three year old pacers came into the series’ first leg with a combined thirteen wins already on the young season and each member of that pair added another win to his tally on Monday.

Primo Uomo (Heston Blue Chip) has enjoyed a dominant 2023 campaign thus far and the Dave Dewhurst-trained pacer moved his record to seven for nine this season behind a front-running score in the $12,500 first leg of the Dr. Richard Frank Memorial Pace. The sophomore was piloted to a 1:55.2 victory by Jimmy Devaux to hold off his race’s major danger William Hanover (Leon Bailey) and record the win.

The Melissa Beckwith-trained Boozer (Huntsville) moved his record to eight for ten on the year with a wire-to-wire win of his own. In recording his leg one victory, Boozer held off pocket-sitting Excursion (Billy Dobson) who began his season with a four-for-four record himself before coming up second-best on Monday. Boozer was leg one’s fastest winner as he stopped the timer in a lifetime best 1:54.4 for driver Brett Beckwith.

The other Dr. Richard Frank Memorial Pacing Series leg one winner was Astaires Arsenal (In The Arsenal) who has also had the winning way this year and scored in 1:56.1 on Monday for his fourth victory in six seasonal starts. The three year old was piloted to the win by Billy Dobson for trainer Misty Carey.

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

Mike Sardella

Photo: Jessica Hallett

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

Boozer (Huntsville) has been as sharp as any horse in the opening months of the racing season at Saratoga Casino Hotel and on Monday afternoon, the Melissa Beckwith trainee put in a career-best effort. Brett Beckwith pilots Boozer who rattled off four consecutive victories at Saratoga in March before finishing second in a start at Plainridge early in April.

On Monday, the three year old pacer was heavily backed as the 1-9 betting favorite and looked every bit the part. Boozer marched out to the early lead and never looked back before cruising to a decisive victory of more than five lengths. The final time of 1:55.2 served as a new lifetime mark for Boozer who won for the seventh time in nine starts in the ’23 campaign. The sophomore is owned by his trainer Melissa Beckwith in partnership with George Zitone of Montague, NJ. Boozer’s Monday score came while competing in a $9,500 event for colt and gelding pacers.

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

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

Bourbon On Ice- daughter of Chapter Seven- was a decisive winner once again on Monday afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel. John Stark Jr trains and drives the filly who competed in the New York Sire Stakes last year and has begun her sophomore season in style. After breaking her maiden last week (April 10), Bourbon On Ice stepped up in company on Monday but had no trouble repeating. The three year old moved out to the early lead in her $9,500 division of a non-winners of two race lifetime trot and never had an anxious moment on the front-end.

Bourbon On Ice was a resounding winner trotting in 1:58.4 over a track labeled ‘sloppy’ in a mile highlighted by a final half in 58.2. The race’s 1-9 betting favorite completed a training double for Stark whose Titan Express (E L Titan) broke his maiden on Monday behind a front-running score that came in 2:02.1. Saratoga Hall of Famer John Stark Jr. piloted three winners on the card as he guided young trotter Seven Bridges Road (Chapter Seven) to her maiden win for trainer Maureen Salino.

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

Mike Sardella

Photo: Jessica Hallett

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

Angel Nation (Archangel) was a multiple-time Open winner at Saratoga Casino Hotel in 2022. Following a winter which saw him race out of town, the six year old trotter returned to the stable of trainer Melissa Beckwith once the calendar turned to April. Angel Nation won his return to the Spa when he went wire-to-wire on April 2^nd. On Monday, the Beckwith trainee drew post seven in the eight-horse Open Trot and subsequently took back to race from off the pace in the $17,000 feature. Driver Brett Beckwith got a cover trip for Angel Nation who came charging home in the stretch before scoring in 1:56. The race’s 4-5 betting favorite prevailed by a length and three-quarters to register what was his fourth victory of the year and second in as many starts at the Spa. Dewey Arnold (Jimmy Devaux) was the runner-up on Monday for the fifth time of the season while Reign Of Honor (Luke Hanners) earned the spot in the Open for the second week in a row. Angel Nation, who is owned by William Hartt of Carmel, ME, moved over the $350,000 mark in career earnings with the win.

Live racing continues on Tuesday at Saratoga and will feature a carryover in the early Pick Five of $2,860. First post time for the matinee is noon.

Photo: Jessica Hallett

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

Mr Cool Seaeyre N (The Pres) has had a great year under the guidance of trainer Brett Derue at Saratoga Casino Hotel. On Monday afternoon, the eleven year old scored the biggest win maybe of his career when he went coast-to-coast in the $31,500 Step Up To The Plate Claiming Series Final for trotters. Brett Beckwith piloted Mr Cool Seaeyre N to each of his three victories in 2023 heading into Monday including a leg two score which came in 1:57. On Monday, the young reinsman powered the New Zealand-bred high-stepper out to the early lead and never looked back. Shadowed every step of the way by the race’s favorite Life Well Lived (Phil Fluet), Mr Cool Seaeyre N cruised unopposed through a first half in 58 seconds and encountered just a brief bid from the favorite in the stretch before stopping the timer in 1:58 for the series win. Life Well Lived, the 6-5 public choice in the wagering, came up second best while Esa (Luke Hanners) concluded his successful series with a third-place finish in the Final. Mr Cool Seaeyre N, who paid $5.90 to win, is owned by Picarazzi, Derue and Bullard of NY. The exacta paid $13.20 in the matinee’s feature while the triple returned $51.50.

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

Photo: Jessica Hallett

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York