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

La Bella Vita N (Changeover) stayed red hot on a chilly afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel on Monday. The Alicia Gray-trained distaffer overcame her outside post to win the $16,000 Fillies and Mares Open. Shawn Gray sat behind the seven year old as she won her third consecutive start on Monday.

Bouncing back and forth between Saratoga and Plainridge this summer, La Bella Vita N powered out early from post seven in the seven-horse feature and although she had to work hard to post a 27 second flat first quarter, the New Zealand invader got a big time breather in quarter two before reaching the half in 57 seconds. Probert (Brett Beckwith) wound up first-over on the race’s favorite on Monday and although she tested her in the stretch, the chase proved futile.

La Bella Vita N stopped the timer in 1:53.4 for her second victory in the local Open and her tenth win of the 2022 season. The even-money favorite led an exacta with Probert second that paid $19 while the triple, which was rounded out by Alittlesidehustl N (Billy Dobson), returned $49.60. She is owned by Bowie Racing of Illinois and Michael Goldberg Racing of Massachusetts.

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

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser

Probert (Dali) has enjoyed a massively successful 2022 campaign while racing a handful of different tracks. Despite piling up more than $85,000 in earnings and winning four times on the season, the five year old hadn’t recorded a victory in a couple months when she made her return to Saratoga Casino Hotel on Monday afternoon.

The Melissa Beckwith-trained Probert was back to the Spa to compete in the $16,000 Fillies and Mares Open just three weeks after being a well-beaten favorite in the local feature. Probert finished second or third six times in her previous seven starts heading into Monday’s tilt and wound up being the even money in the ladies’ feature. Brett Beckwith pulled Probert first-over on the leader and eventually ground that one into submission before drawing away to win by two lengths.

Demeter N (Larry Stalbaum) also thrived from off the pace in Monday’s Open and closed to finish second while pocket-sitting Alittlesidehustl N (Billy Dobson) came on to be third. It was the second win in the local Open this year for Probert who scored in the feature back in May. On Monday, she paid $4.30 to win and led an exacta and triple that came back $21.40 and $91, respectively.

The Open score was one of two victories on the day for trainer Melissa Beckwith and driver Bret Beckwith who teamed up for a wire-to-wire score with Seafood Sweetheart (American Ideal) in a low-level conditional race. Probert is owned by Howard Jacobs, Jim Winske and Marcus Kemblowski.

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

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser

Birch Island Betty (Big Jim) established herself as a factor in the Fillies and Mares Open at Saratoga Casino Hotel late last season. The Eve Bergeron trainee won the ladies’ feature twice in 2021 in a season that saw her hit the board in 21 of her 38 starts. Birch Island Betty made her ’22 debut in early March and has shown improvement every week. Heading into Monday afternoon’s try in the $15,000 Open for distaffers off a second-place finish, the seven year old appeared poised for her first score of the young season. Brett Beckwith took her back in the early going as a host of longshots slugged it out at the start. First half fractions of 27.1 and 56 seconds set the table for closers and Birch Island Betty made her move heading towards the three-quarter pole. The talented mare pulled off a three-wide move and drew away a bit from her rivals around the final turn. Robyn Camden (Billy Dobson), the winner of the last two installments of the local Open for fillies and mares, came from last on Monday and also made steady progress in the race’s final quarter. That classy mare came up short of threepeating as Birch Island Betty held strong in the stretch before stopping the timer in 1:55 on a cold afternoon in the Spa City. Birch Island Betty paid $7.30 to win and led an exacta with Robyn Camden second that returned $21.60. Longshot Mc Kella (Jimmy Devaux) earned the show spot and rounded out a triple that came back $112.50. Birch Island Betty is owned by Dany Grenier, of Quebec, Canada.

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

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser

All Speed Rising (All Speed Hanover) has established herself as a formidable Filly and Mare Open Pacer this season at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The Andy Gardner trainee came into Monday’s try in the $15,000 feature with a win and a pair of seconds to her credit in her five seasonal tries in the Open for distaffers. All Speed Rising often utilizes her early speed and did just that in Monday’s feature when driver Jay Randall powered her right out to the lead. After moving quickly through a first quarter in 27.4, the seven year old got a second quarter breather before completing lap one in 58.1. The race’s even money favorite, All Speed Rising held strong throughout and wound up powering away from her rivals to score in 1:55.3 for her second Open win of the young season. Miss Irish Rose A (Larry Stalbaum) was the pocket-sitter and wound up as the feature’s runner-up while Checks On The Way (Phil Fluet) earned the show spot. All Speed Rising, who is owned by George Tackley and Wendy Storrier, gave driver Jay Randall one of his three winners on the card. Paying $4.00 to win, the speedy mare led an exacta and triple that came back $28.60 and $132, respectively. The victory in the feature was one of two on the day to go with a pair of second-place finishes for Gardner who currently sits atop the trainer standings in the young ’22 season.

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

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser

Another Monday afternoon, another feature score for Chasethecloudsaway at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The Chris Petrelli-trained distaffer has had the winning way over the past couple of seasons and continued her dominance during Monday’s matinee. Chasethecloudsaway (Sunshine Beach) was the public’s 1-5 betting favorite when she took back to last in a featured field that had just five participants following a late scratch in the race. Driver Luke Hanners sat patiently in the early going before making his move past the 5/8 pole with the five year old winning machine in the $15,000 Fillies and Mares Open. Chasethecloudsaway picked off horses one by one before ranging up to prevail in 1:55.2 to move her record in the 2022 campaign to three-for-three. Owned by David Del Pozzo of Metheun, MA, Chasethecloudsaway now owns nineteen wins in 31 starts in ’21-’22. Robyn Camden (Billy Dobson) finished second in the Open while longshot Treasurethosechips (Leon Bailey) earned the show spot. The chalky exacta paid $5.60 in the feature while the triple came back $35.20. The strong start to the season continues for young reinsman Luke Hanners who piled up four victories on Monday’s card including his third consecutive while sitting behind star pacing mare Chasethecloudsaway.

Live racing resumes on Saturday evening at Saratoga with a first post time of 5pm.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser

Monday afternoon was a big one for Brett Beckwith at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The young reinsman took home the Johnny Page Award for the track’s top up-and-coming driver in 2021 and the son of driver Mark Beckwith has established himself as one of the top catch-drivers as the Spa in ’22. Brett scored his first local grand slam on Monday’s matinee highlighted by guiding a trio of Melissa Beckwith trainees to victories. Precious Alexis scored decisively on the engine in a $7,000 conditional race for fillies and mares to make good at odds of 1-2. A beaten favorite when trying to come from last in her seasonal debut last week, Precious Alexis wasted no time grabbing the early lead on Monday and despite moving through a first half of 57.2 powered away to win by five and a half lengths in a mile clocked in 1:55. Yummy Candy also made good at odds-on when she went coast-to-coast for Beckwith in a $9,000 race for young fillies and mares while Mckella led it every step of the way before stopping the timer in 1:55.4. Brett’s grand slam was completed when the Jaymes McAssey-trained Aintnohollabackgrl aired by seven lengths in 1:56.2. Beckwith has begun his season in the top five in the local driver standings after enjoying his biggest ever days at the Spa on Monday.

Live racing resumes on Saturday evening at Saratoga with a 5pm first post.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser

All Speed Rising, trained by Andy Gardner, scored her 20th lifetime victory in today’s filly & mare feature pace at Saratoga. She was driven to the win by Billy Dobson in 1:57

Larry Stalbaum wrapped up his training title at Saratoga Casino Hotel on Monday afternoon when his Big Box Hanover (Uncle Peter) scored impressively in the matinee’s feature. Stalbaum took home the award for both Trainer of the Year and Horseman of the Year after having just a sensational 2021 season at the Spa. On Monday, Big Box Hanover won the Open Trot for the third time since joining the Stalbaum stable in November. The four year old is wrapping up his third consecutive season of six-figure earnings and although he was a beaten favorite in the two installments of the Open leading up to Monday’s try, he proved up to the task in impressive fashion. Big Box Hanover wound up in the pocket behind aggressive and speedy leader Gigfy (Alek Chartrand) who has consistently finished second or third all year long and certainly of late. Gigfy tried to fend off Big Box Hanover in the stretch but his efforts were thwarted as the Stalbaum trainee cruised by to win in an impressive 1:54.2. Gigfy finished second while Xcuseme (John Stark Jr) earned the show spot. The win time serves as a new lifetime mark for Big Box Hanover whose Open victory was his third in six local tries. The winner is owned by the Red White & Blue Racing Stable of Matamoras, PA. Stalbaum’s Bucketlist Hanover completed a double for the Horseman of the Year as he came from off the pace to score in a $10,700 race for trotters.

Live racing continues on Tuesday afternoon for closing day of the 2021 meet at Saratoga with racing set to resume on February 5, 2022. Closing day will feature a jackpot carryover of $9,370 in the Jackpot Super High Five which takes place in the afternoon’s finale. First post time on Tuesday is set for 12 Noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser

Monday afternoon’s card at Saratoga Casino Hotel was comprised of eleven trotting races. The featured race was the “Bullet” Bob Meyer Memorial Trot Series Final. The two-leg series saw four different winners among the four $$10,000 divisions which made for a Final that appeared up-for-grabs. With no clear cut favorite, the $20,000 Final wound up with a great stretch drive which was primarily comprised of three of the division winners. Tymal Tullo (Alek Chartrand) took over the lead turning for home after toughing out a first-over journey and had the favored Amazing Sevens (Jay Randall) and series force Im Not Vanilla (Brett Beckwith) closing in from the back of the pack. Im Not Vanilla, who was more than nine lengths off the lead at the half mile, came charging hard on the outside to track down his rivals and secure the victory in 1:59.4. The runner- up as the 1-5 betting favorite in his division of leg two of the series, the Jackie Cantine-trained Im Not Vanilla just missed the series sweep but prevailed when it counted the most. Paying $10.20 to win in the mild upset, Im Not Vanilla led an exacta with Tymal Tullo second that returned $32.20 and a triple with Amazing Sevens third that came back $47.80. Im Not Vanilla, who is eleven years old, is owned by Jeff Cantine of Ballston Spa, NY. The series, formerly called the Holiday Trot, is now named in honor of longtime track announcer Bob Meyer who was most commonly known as the voice of Yonkers Raceway before coming here to Saratoga at the turn of the century. Meyer passed away almost two years ago and now has this series named in his memory.

Live racing resumes on Tuesday afternoon at Saratoga with first post time set for noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser