Monday afternoon’s feature saw a group of six distaffers take part in the $15,000 Fillies and Mares Open at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Probert (Dali) made her Spa debut and wound up as the 3-5 betting favorite in the ladies’ feature. Wally Hennessey sat behind the five year old mare for trainer Melissa Beckwith who recorded a second and a third place finish in two starts with the mare while racing at Plainridge last month.

Hennessey wasted very little time moving the favorite out to the early lead on Monday and gave her a nice breather in the second quarter before reaching the half in 58 seconds. From there, the speedy Probert powered through a third quarter in 27 seconds flat before being met with the challenge of Birch Island Betty (Chris Long) in the stretch. After getting a pocket ride behind the Open’s favorite, Birch Island Betty powered out of the two-hole and made a run at Probert in the stretch before coming up short by just a head in 1:53.

The winner, who came a back half in 55 seconds flat, is owned by Howard Jacobs, Jim Winske and Marcus Kemblowski. Probert paid $3.40 to win. The exacta with Birch Island Betty second came back $34.40 while the triple which was completed by Dashintothebeach N (Jimmy Devaux) returned $105.50. Hennessey piloted three winners on the Monday matinee card.

Live racing resumes on Saturday night at Saratoga and features a Pick Five carryover of $3,401. The Pick Six Jackpot sits at $7,013. The Pick Six encompasses race 8-13 on the program that starts at 5PM.

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser

Chasethecloudsaway (Sunshine Beach) has been a force in the Fillies and Mares Open at Saratoga Casino Hotel early in the season. A winning machine in 2021, the Chris Petrelli-trained distaffer has gotten off to a great start to her ’22 campaign as well. After winning three consecutive tries in the feature for mares in February, Chasethecloudsaway went on a two-race “losing streak” which is only noteworthy due to the fact that she has won 19 times in ’21-’22 heading into her most recent start. On Monday afternoon, the five year old came from off the pace as the race’s favorite Dashintothebeach N (Jimmy Devaux) cut the mile in her debut in the Open. That one cruised through a first half in 57.1 before being confronted by longshot Mckella (Shawn Gray) who took to the first-over path in an attempt to reel in the favorite who is the winningest horse in the young meet at the Spa. Chasethecloudsaway followed the cover until tipping off of it around the final turn as Dashintothebeach N appeared vulnerable late in the mile. The race’s second choice in the wagering at odds of 5-2, Chasethecloudsaway displayed that nose for the finish line and ranged up in time to score in the feature, stopping the timer in 1:54.1 for a new seasonal mark. Dashintothebeach N showed herself well in her debut in the Open and finished second while Mckella earned the show spot. The exacta and triple in the race returned $17 and $118.50, respectively. Chasethecloudsaway, who is now four-for-six in the $15,000 ladies’ feature this season, paid $7.60 for the win on Monday. She is owned by David Del Pozzo of Methuen, MA and was piloted to her feature score by Luke Hanners.

Live racing resumes on Saturday evening at Saratoga with a thirteen-race card set to begin at 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

Chasethecloudsaway (Sunshine Beach) was a winning machine in 2021 scoring an impressive sixteen times over the course of the year. While most of the Chris Petrelli-trained mare’s victories took place at Monticello, the then four year old did thrive at Saratoga Casino Hotel as well. A four-time winner of the local Fillies and Mares Open in ‘21, Chasethecloudsaway made her seasonal debut on Tuesday afternoon with just one winning qualifier under her belt. Luke Hanners was the regular driver for the talented distaffer late last year and sat behind her for Tuesday’s try in the $15,000 feature. Hanners flashed some early speed with the race’s 8-5 betting favorite but had to settle for fourth in the early going as Somebeachsomefra (Jimmy Devaux) set honest fractions on the front end. Chasethecloudsaway made her move just past the half and marched up first-over before grinding the leader into submission in the stretch and prevailing by three quarters of a length in a mile clocked in 1:56.1. Somebeachsomefra finished second while Miss Irish Rose A (Larry Stalbaum), the runner-up in last week’s ladies’ Open, had to settle for third on Tuesday. Chasethecloudsaway paid $5.50 to win and led an exacta and triple that returned $19.60 and $83.50, respectively. The trip to the winner’s circle in the feature was one of three consecutive on the card for young reinsman Luke Hanners who scored a natural hat trick on the matinee card.

Live racing resumes on Saturday evening with a 13 race card set to begin at 5:00pm.

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

All Speed Rising (All Speed Hanover) has thrived out of the stable of trainer Andy Gardner this season at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The six year old mare came into her try in Tuesday’s feature off a victory in a $12,300 conditional race last week. Shawn Gray got the driving assignment behind All Speed Rising on Tuesday and moved the distaffer out to the early lead in the $15,000 Fillies and Mares Open. After cruising through a fast first quarter of 27.2, Gray backed things down with the 11-1 outsider and got a half in 58 seconds. All Speed Rising didn’t face much of a challenge before trying to open up around the final turn. The race’s longshot The Fun Marshall (Alek Chartrand) sat the pocket and tried to get to the leader in the stretch. Her chase proved futile as All Speed Rising held on to win her first Open of the year in 1:55.2. 23-1 shot The Fun Marshall finished second while Shecandance N (Jimmy Devaux) earned the show spot in the Open for the second straight week. All Speed Rising, who is owned by George Tackley and Wendy Storrier, paid $25.60 to win and led an exacta and triple that returned $277.50 and $1,958, respectively. The win was one of three on the day for Andy Gardner who has surged into second place in the trainer standings with one week remaining in the 2021 campaign.

Live racing resumes on Sunday afternoon with a first post time set for noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser

Chasethecloudsaway (Sunshine Beach) has become an instant star at Saratoga Casino Hotel in a very short period of time. The Chris Petrelli-trained mare prevailed in the Fillies and Mares Open on Tuesday for the fourth time in just five starts in the $15,000 feature for lady pacers. Luke Hanners has been the regular reinsman for the four year old who has displayed versatility in winning her races and hit the wire first for the incredible sixteenth time of the season overall. Chasethecloudsaway was the 1-5 betting favorite on Tuesday in the six-horse Open and left a bit to get away fourth in the early going. Hanners moved the star distaffer first-over at the half and she chipped away at the lead of rival Birch Island Betty (Billy Dobson) before putting her away once and for all at the head of the stretch. Chasethecloudsaway stopped the timer in 1:55.1 to continue her winning ways. Birch Island Betty extended her streak of hitting the board in the Open to eight by finishing as the runner-up on Tuesday while invader Shecandance N (Jimmy Devaux) earned the show spot. The exacta and triple in the race paid $5.90 and $13.20, respectively, with the big favorite on top. Chasethecloudsaway is owned by David Del Pozzo of Methuen, MA.

Live racing resumes on Sunday afternoon at Saratoga with a matinee beginning at noon. Prior to the race card, there will be an awards presentation taking place in the winner’s circle followed by a retirement ceremony for several 14 year old horses as the season begins to wrap up.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Cheyanne Mandy

Tuesday’s installment of the Fillies and Mares Open at Saratoga Casino Hotel went the way that so many have this season. Surreal Feeling (So Surreal) has been the dominant force in the ladies’ feature all year long and the top-flight six year old mare was back at it in Tuesday’s feature. With Alek Chartrand at the controls, Surreal Feeling powered out to the early lead in the $15,000 Open and never looked back. The Dale Lawton-trained distaffer went the distance to prevail in 1:54.3 to record her twelfth win of the season and her ninth in the local Open this season. Surreal Feeling, who hasn’t finished worse than second in the Open since mid-summer, held off a late bid from pocket-sitting Birch Island Betty (Billy Dobson) who wound up finishing second. It was the fifth consecutive week in which that she hit the board in the local Open. Miss Irish Rose A earned the show spot in the feature. Surreal Feeling, who paid $3.20 to win, led an exacta and triple that came back $13 and $56.50, respectively. The winner is owned by her trainer Dale Lawton as well as Chris Lawton. She is the clear favorite to be named Filly and Mare Pacer of the Year at the Spa as the awards will be given out this year after there was no ceremony last season.

Live racing resumes on Sunday afternoon at Saratoga with a first post time of noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser