Boozer Wins Seventh In Nine Races

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 Wins With John Stark, Jr.

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 HotelSaratoga Springs, New York

Angel Nation & Brett Beckwith

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 2nd. 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

Step Up To The Plate Claiming Series

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

Trainer Gary Levine & A Successful Monday

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

Primo Uomo & Jim Devaux

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 & Jay Randall

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 & Ron Cushing

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

Probert & Brett Beckwith

The Fillies and Mares Open at Saratoga Casino Hotel has belonged to leading trainer Melissa Beckwith this year. Putting the finishing touches on her ninth training title this season, Beckwith has had two mares dominate the action in the regular Monday feature and this week scored her twelfth victory in the top race for the ladies.

Probert (Dali) came into her most recent try in the $16,000 feature as an owner of four Open wins this year despite racing well over half her races out of town in 2022. On Monday, Probert wound up as her race’s 1-5 betting favorite in the five-horse Open and took back in the early going. In a half mile clocked in 59 seconds, the Beckwith trainee sat patiently before being unleashed by driver Brett Beckwith approaching the three-quarter pole.

Resistance was futile for the rivals of Probert who surged past her competition en route to stopping the timer in 1:56.1 for her fifth Open score, a number that is second only to stablemate Sea Shadows and her seven Open victories among top-flight mares at the Spa this year. Invader Newsy N (Ron Cushing) was the runner-up to Probert in a chalky $6.60 exacta while Pammy Jo (Shawn Gray) earned the show spot in a $17.80 triple.

Probert, who is owned by Howard Jacobs, Jim Winske and Marcus Kemblowski, now has ten wins to her credit in a year in which she has piled up over $150,000 in earnings.

Live racing resumes on Saturday evening for closing weekend of the ’22 season. Saturday’s first post time is 5pm to be followed by closing day’s matinee on Sunday which will kick off at noon.

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser

Probert & Brett Beckwith

Probert (Dali) & Brett Beckwith

The Fillies and Mares Open at Saratoga Casino Hotel has belonged to trainer Melissa Beckwith this season. Putting the finishing touches on what will be her ninth local training title, Beckwith has had a couple of distaffers who have thrived in the ladies’ feature throughout the 2022 campaign. Sea Shadows owns a track-best seven Open wins this year but it was a different Beckwith trainee who competed in Monday’s installment of the $16,000 feature.

Probert (Dali) has had a terrific ’22 season while racing both locally and at Plainridge Park in Massachusetts. Following a pair of Open scores and a third-place finish at Plainridge, Probert was back in town on Monday and despite drawing post six in the six-horse feature, the Beckwith trainee was the public’s 3-5 betting favorite. Young reinsman Brett Beckwith found an early landing spot with Probert in a race in which Always Watching (Jordan Derue) was cutting the mile.

Always Watching got to the half in 57 seconds but when Beckwith gave Probert her cue, the five year old surged to challenge the leader who would not relent. Always Watching and Probert battled stride-for-stride with each other until hitting the stretch when the Beckwith trainee powered away to win in 1:53.3. It was the fourth Open score at the Spa for Probert who is owned by Howard Jacobs, Jim Winske and Marcus Kemblowski.

The earnings for Probert push her seasonal total to over the $140,000 mark. Always Watching finished second on Monday to complete a $16.40 exacta while So Amazing (Jimmy Devaux) completed a $48.80 triple.

Live racing resumes on Saturday evening at Saratoga with a 5pm first post. There will be a Pick Five carryover of $2,444 with the Pick Five beginning in the first race.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser