Surreal Feeling (So Surreal) has had an incredible 2021 campaign and on Tuesday afternoon, the six year old mare recorded her eighth Open win of the season at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The Dale Lawton-trained distaffer returned to the Spa in October and secured one win and three seconds in four tries in the $15,000 Fillies and Mares Open heading into Tuesday’s try. Alek Chartrand has been the regular driver for Surreal Feeling in her local starts and was at the helm behind the 2-5 betting favorite in the feature. After a fast first quarter paced in 27.1, the race’s leader backed down the half to the tune of 57.4. Surreal Feeling picked up cover and charged up second-over before tipping off the cover past the three quarter pole. As the favorite shifted gears, Chasethecloudsaway (Luke Hanners), the winner of the last two installments of the Fillies and Mares Open at the Spa, motored home around the final turn. Surreal Feeling would not be denied though and stopped the timer in 1:55 for her eleventh win of the season and eighth in the local feature. Chasethecloudsaway continued her streak of finishing first or second every week dating back to August when she ended up as the runner-up to Surreal Feeling while Birch Island Betty (Billy Dobson) earned the show spot for the third consecutive week in the Open. The exacta with the favorites running one-two paid $9.40 while the triple came back $56. Surreal Feeling, who is the clear favorite for Filly and Mare Pacer of the Year at Saratoga, is owned by Chris and Dale Lawton.

Live racing resumes on Sunday afternoon with a matinee starting at noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser

Chasethecloudsaway (Sunshine Beach) moved her record to two-for-two at Saratoga Casino Hotel on Tuesday afternoon. The Chris Petrelli-trained distaffer scored in the Fillies and Mares Open for the second consecutive week as she came from off the pace to repeat in the $15,000 Tuesday feature. Last week, Chasethecloudsaway toughed out a trip on the outside before drawing away from her rivals to win in 1:54 and spring the upset at odds of 25-1 in her local debut. On Tuesday, driver Luke Hanners again came from off the pace with the mare who was bet down to even money by the betting public. Surreal Feeling (Alek Chartrand) was the runner-up to the winner in last week’s feature while trying to overcome post eight but in this week’s installment of the ladies’ Open moved right out to the front end. Clicking off speedy first half fractions of 26.3 and 56.2, Surreal Feeling held strong throughout before getting edged out late this week by Chasethecloudsaway in a mile clocked in 1:54. Surreal Feeling, perhaps the most dominant mare at the Spa this year, had to settle for second best while Birch Island Betty (Jimmy Devaux) earned the show spot. Chasethecloudsaway’s victory was her fourteenth of the season and paid $4.10 to win on Tuesday and led an exacta and triple that returned $6.40 and $18.60, respectively. The Open winner is owned by David Del Pozzo of Methuen, MA. The feature winner’s connections secured a double on Tuesday as Del Pozzo, Petrelli and Hanners’ Beauty Is Blind (Betterthancheddar) scored a front-running victory in an $11,500 race for pacing mares.

Live racing resumes on Sunday afternoon at Saratoga with a matinee starting at noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser

New Zealand invader Rckaroundtheclock N (A Rocknroll Dance) has been a winning machine in her first year racing in the USA and on Tuesday afternoon, the Amanda Kelley trainee added Open winner to her growing resume. The 2-5 betting favorite in the $16,000 Fillies and Mares Open despite starting from the second tier, Rckaroundtheclock N wasted little time in getting to the lead as driver Shawn Gray quarter-moved her in the backstretch. The five year old distaffer got to the quarter in 27.4 and clicked off a half in 56.4 before facing a challenge. Bontz N (Mike Simons), who got away third, took her shot past three quarters and the regular Open threat made the top one earn it before settling for second-best behind Rckaroundtheclock N who stopped the timer in 1:53.2 over a track labeled ‘good.’ Pocket-sitter All Speed Rising (Jimmy Devaux) earned the show spot in the $16,000 Open for the ladies. Rckaroundtheclock paid just $2.90 to win but the exacta and triple in the feature returned $48.20 and $360, respectively. The winner of a baker’s dozen in 2021 is owned by the Scheigert Racing Stable of Saratoga Springs, NY.

Live racing resumes on Sunday afternoon at Saratoga with a matinee that begins at noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino

Birch Island Betty (Big Jim) rode a mini win streak into the Tuesday feature at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The Eve Bergeron trainee was assigned the rail for her try in the $15,000 Fillies and Mares Open after rattling off back-to-back jacks in the conditional ranks. Brett Crawford picked up the catch-drive behind the six year old mare who secured a pair of Open victories last season at the Spa. Almost a year to the day of her first feature score, Birch Island Betty sat patiently in the early going on Tuesday and even got shuffled back a bit in the six-horse Open for distaffers. Rival Thats Incredible (Shawn Gray) surged first-over on the race’s favorite approaching three quarters and those two looked like they would decide it before the backfield got in motion around the final turn. Birch Island Betty, who surged in the stretch to record each of her successive victories that led up to Tuesday’s tilt, shook loose and flew home in the lane before coming on to win in 1:54.1. Thats Incredible finished second while Miss Irish Rose A (Larry Stalbaum) closed to be third. The winner is owned by Dany Grenier of Quebec, Canada. Paying $12.40 to win in the mild upset, Birch Island Betty led an exacta and triple that returned $74 and $296, respectively.

Live racing resumes on Sunday afternoon at Saratoga with a matinee beginning at Noon.

Mike Sardella
Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino

Last Tuesday afternoon (Sept 14), Bontz N outclosed the group of distaffers in the Fillies and Mares Open at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The Gary Levine trainee, who has been one of the top mares at the track for the last few years, was disqualified from first and placed fifth in that start after causing interference while making a break past the three-quarter pole. This week, Bontz N again drew post four for her try in the $15,000 feature and driver Wally Hennessey didn’t waste any time getting her to the lead. The ten year old mare had to pace her first quarter in 26.4 to get to the front but got a nice breather once she settled in. After completing her first lap in 57 seconds, Bontz N was tested first-over by a longshot who took the lead at three quarters but never got clear of the stubborn and gusty Bontz N who rallied on the rail to reclaim the lead heading for home. The six pacing mares in the Open were separated by a total of about three lengths from leader to last at the head of the stretch but late in the game, it was still Bontz N who had enough left to prevail in 1:53.4, a seasonal best-matching time for the Levine trainee. The winningest mare in the local feature over the course of the last three seasons, Bontz N’s Tuesday score was her first in the Open this year. Invader Stowaway Hanover (Mark Beckwith) came from last to finish second to Bontz N while Somebeachsomefra (Jimmy Devaux) earned the show spot. Bontz N paid $8.10 to win and led an exacta and triple that came back $43.40 and $169.50, respectively. The winner, who is owned by April Aldrich of Greenfield Center, NY, accounted for one of two victories on the card for defending leading trainer Gary Levine. Hennessey piloted three winners on the matinee card.

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

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino

Surreal Feeling (So Surreal) brought her talents back to Saratoga Casino Hotel on Saturday night and the pacing mare who has made winning a habit at the Spa added another victory to her collection in the evening’s co-feature. Surreal Feeling has raced at Yonkers and Pocono Downs in recent months and has thrived but her successes at Saratoga have been stark this season. The Dale Lawton-trained distaffer was the 1-5 betting favorite in the Fillies and Mares Open on Saturday, a race that served as the co-feature along with the $15,000 Open Pace for the boys. Driver Alek Chartrand moved Surreal Feeling out early but had to settle into fourth position in the six-horse co-feature before pulling her first-over approaching the half mile pole. The six year old mare took it from there and despite racing overland in a 27.3 third quarter powered past the leader before drawing away in the stretch to win by a measured length and a quarter in 1:53.3. Earlier this season, Surreal Feeling put in a track record-matching performance as she scored in a dazzling 1:51.3 to tie the previous mark for fastest of any aged pacing mare in the 80 year history of racing at Saratoga. On Saturday, Surreal Feeling won the local Open for the sixth time this season and for the fourth consecutive start in it. Thats Incredible (Shawn Gray) finished second while Pammy Jo (Mark Beckwith) earned the show spot. Surreal Feeling, who is co-owned by Chris Lawton and her trainer Dale Lawton, has hit the board in all nineteen of her starts this year in what has been a masterful campaign for the talented mare.

The $15,000 Open Pace for the boys went to Crockets Cullen N (Christian Cullen) who scored for the third time in his last four starts in the feature for colts and geldings. Crockets Cullen N is the winningest horse in the local Open Pace over the course of the last three seasons but didn’t have a win in the Saturday feature before scoring on July 31^st. The ten year old veteran went coast-to-coast last Saturday (Aug 14) and had little difficulty doing the same in this weekend’s installment of the Open Pace as he overcame a 26.4 first quarter on the lead to prevail in 1:52.2 for owner/trainer/driver Larry Stalbaum. Quagmire Bluechip (Brett Beckwith) was the runner-up in the Saturday co-feature while Odds On Brexit (Jimmy Devaux) earned the show spot in his Open debut. The exacta and triple with the 9-5 second-choice in the wagering on top paid $35.40 and $116.50, respectively. The win was one of three on the night for Stalbaum as both a trainer and driver as his Itsonlyrocknroll A and Union Station also secured Saturday scores.

Live racing resumes on Monday afternoon with a matinee beginning at Noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Cheyanne Mandy

Surreal Feeling (So Surreal) has been nothing shy of surreal again this year and on Wednesday afternoon, the superstar mare added another win to her tally at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The six year old mare, who has been a winning machine over the course of her career, prevailed for the 29^th time in just 79 lifetime starts Wednesday when she went coast-to-coast in the $14,000 Fillies and Mares Open. Surreal Feeling won from off the pace in her previous local try but this week driver Alek Chartrand didn’t waste any time getting the speedy stalwart to the front-end. After sizzling through a first quarter in 26.2, Surreal Feeling reached the half in 55 seconds in a race that had an accident occur in the early going at the back of the pack. Miss Irish Rose A (Larry Stalbaum) finished second in last week’s Open at the Spa and took her shot at Surreal Feeling in this one nearly tracking her down in the stretch before finishing as the runner-up for the second straight week. The win time was 1:52.4 for Surreal Feeling who was the public’s 3-5 betting favorite in the feature. Miss Irish Rose A completed a $26.40 exacta while invader Vicious Circle (Jimmy Devaux) rounded out a $184 triple in a race that saw Come Get The Cash be interfered with and unseat her driver before getting loose on the track for a couple of minutes. None of the horses or drivers involved in the incident appeared to be injured. Surreal Feeling, who became the first horse to win as many as five Opens at the Spa thus far this season, is owned by Chris Lawton and her trainer Dale Lawton.

Live racing resumes on Monday afternoon at Saratoga with a first post set for Noon.

Mike Sardella
Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino

There has seemingly been only one horse that has stopped Robyn Camden at Saratoga Casino Hotel in recent years. The Rob Harmon trainee has been the dominant force in the local Fillies and Mares Open when she’s come to town in the last few seasons. A winner of at least one local feature in each of the last three years, Robyn Camden owned two victories in the Open at the Spa this in 2021 before being a beaten favorite in her two previous tries in the $14,000 feature for distaffers. Surreal Feeling has been a winning machine and bested Robyn Camden in each of her last two tries in the Open. On Wednesday afternoon, Surreal Feeling wasn’t in town and Robyn Camden took full advantage. Bet down as the public’s 1-5 favorite, Robyn Camden wasted little time moving out the lead as driver Greg Merton got her to the engine in a first quarter of 27.2. The favorite traveled unopposed while maintaining a length and a half lead throughout the entire mile before stopping the timer in 1:53.3 to record her third win in the local Open this season. Miss Irish Rose A (Larry Stalbaum) sat the pocket to the winner and finished second in the feature while Come Get The Cash (Brett Crawford) earned the show spot. Robyn Camden is owned by Jason Osullivan of Dublin, Ireland.

Live racing resumes on Monday afternoon at Saratoga with a 12 race card set to begin at Noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino

Bontz N (American Ideal) has been the top pacing mare at Saratoga Casino Hotel over the course of the last three seasons. The Gary Levine trainee has been a consistent force in her time at the Spa mostly while competing in the Fillies and Mares Open. The classy ten year old is having another solid campaign in 2021 although she has done most of her damage in sub-Open levels this season. On Wednesday afternoon, Bontz N had Shawn Gray piloting her while competing in a $10,000 conditional race for distaffers. Gray flashed speed with the versatile mare who sat the pocket to longshot Lyons Girlhanover (Larry Stalbaum) who set sizzling fractions on the engine on a hot day in the Spa City. Bontz N popped the pocket heading to the three-quarter pole and though Lyons Girlhanover was tiring a bit, she did fight gamely on despite being bypassed by Bontz N. All the while, the race’s favorite Misty Memory N (Jimmy Devaux) who took back early came from off the pace and proved to be a threat to Bontz N who put away Lyons Girlhanover once and for all around the final turn. Bontz N found another gear in the stretch and proved best stopping the timer in a seasonal best win time of 1:53.4. She paid $8.90 to win. Misty Memory N was the runner-up while Lyons Girlhanover held on to be third. The exacta and triple came back $16 and $76, respectively. Bontz N, who is owned by April Aldrich of Greenfield Center, NY, moved her career bankroll to over the quarter million dollar mark with the earnings from her fourth victory of the season.

Live racing resumes on Monday afternoon at Saratoga with a Memorial Day matinee that is set to kick off at Noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Cheyanne Mandy

In the more than seventy years of harness racing at Saratoga Casino Hotel, there has never been a faster mile by a mare than the one Surreal Feeling (So Surreal) paced on Wednesday afternoon. The Dale Lawton-trained distaffer has been a winning machine over the course of her career as the six year old mare came into Wednesday’s try in the $14,000 Fillies and Mares Open with 25 wins in 74 lifetime tries. Tasked with taking on 1-2 betting favorite Robyn Camden (Greg Merton) who dominated in last week’s Fillies and Mares Open, Surreal Feeling powered out to the early lead on Wednesday. The speedy mare paid a stiff price to get to the front-end as it took a first quarter of 26.4 to secure the top spot. After pacing the half in 56 seconds and with Robyn Camden looming large and closing in, Surreal Feeling just continued to roll along with Alek Chartrand in the sulky. The Lawton trainee proved up to the task and not only prevailed in the feature but actually drew away to win it by better than five lengths. The margin of victory wasn’t the real highlight from the win though. The final time of 1:51.3 was not only eye-popping, it was record-breaking. Or at least, record tying. Surreal Feeling is now the co-record holder for fastest lady pacer in track history as her 1:51.3 in Wednesday’s Open matched the time set by Velocity Vespa in 2016 as the fastest for an aged pacing mare in Saratoga history. Surreal Feeling is owned by Chris Lawton and her trainer Dale Lawton, both of New York. The exacta with the favored Robyn Camden second returned $13.60 while the triple completed by Casie’s Believer (Joe Chindano Jr) paid $30.60. The win was the fifth of the season for Surreal Feeling and her third in a local Open in ’21.

Live racing resumes on Monday afternoon when the $32,900 John Mongeon Sr. Memorial Trotting Series Final highlights a 12-race card. First post time is set for Noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Cheyanne Mandy