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

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

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

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

Young pacer Primo Uomo (Heston Blue Chip) has begun his season on a tear at Saratoga Casino Hotel on a day in which his connections scored a double. The three year old who had a win and a second in his two starts as a freshman in 2022 rolled to his fourth consecutive victory on Monday afternoon at the Spa. Primo Uomo prevailed in his final start of ’22 and is now three-for-three to begin his sophomore campaign as the Dave Dewhurst trainee impressed once again this week scoring a career-best 1:55.1 win in a $8,700 race for young colts and geldings. The public’s odds-on favorite had the task of battling young pacer Boozer (Brett Beckwith) who came to town two-for-two after recording decisive victories at Monticello. Returning to the stable of last year’s leading trainer Melissa Beckwith, Boozer wound up sitting the pocket to Primo Uomo who was powerful in the stretch before registering a lifetime best win. Jimmy Devaux piloted Primo Uomo to victory for Dewhurst who has gotten his season off to a strong start and owners Chris and Dale Lawton. Devaux and Dewhurst teamed up later in the card for another youngster who recorded his third consecutive victory on Monday. City Of Hope (Met’s Hall) cruised out of the pocket to prevail and, like stablemate Primo Uomo, move his 2023 record to three-for-three.

Racing scheduled for Tuesday has been cancelled due to the impeding winter storm. Live racing continues on Saturday evening with a post time of 5 p.m.

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