The $14,000 Fillies and Mares Open was the feature on a Wednesday afternoon card at Saratoga Casino Hotel that was marred by an ugly accident. Greg Merton picked up the catch-drive behind the Rob Harmon-trained Robyn Camden in the feature for distaffers after scheduled pilot Jay Randall was injured in a race two wreck. Robyn Camden always thrives when she comes to town and the invading mare continued that trend as the race’s 1-5 betting favorite on Wednesday. Merton took Robyn Camden back early and she sat patiently in a first half that went in 57 seconds. The six year old swung first-over past the half and unleashed an attack on the race’s front-running longshot before drawing away to win in 1:53.4. Surreal Feeling (Alek Chartrand) brought a three-race local win streak into the Open and made a late move after getting away last in the six-horse feature. Behind a strong final quarter, Surreal Feeling finished as the runner-up to Robyn Camden. Thats Incredible (Brett Crawford) earned the show spot. Robyn Camden is now two-for-two in the local Open this season for her owner Jason Osullivan of Dublin, Ireland.

Our thoughts and well wishes go out to all of those involved in the race two accident, especially driver Jay Randall. The horses involved all eventually walked away from the incident. Since the race was declared a no contest, the Virginia O’Brien Memorial Pacing Series has now been postponed for two weeks and will start anew on May 26^th with the first of two legs that will lead up to the Final which will go for a purse of more than $30,000. Live racing resumes at Saratoga on Monday afternoon with first post set for Noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino

Driver Jimmy Devaux had a strong week at Saratoga Casino Hotel and on Wednesday, the veteran reinsman drove the feature winner for the second consecutive afternoon. Devaux sat behind the Brett Derue-trained Misty Memory N (Real Desire) who wound up repeating on the lead in the matinee’s $10,000 featured race for fillies and mares. Misty Memory N cruised to an easy lead once again this week and never faced much of a challenge before completing a coast-to-coast score in 1:54.1, a new career-best win time. Thats Incredible (Shawn Gray) fought through a trip that saw her close into a final half of 56.3 to finish second to the favorite while Hereslooknatyou N (Phil Fluet) earned the show spot. Misty Memory N was the public’s 4-5 top choice in the wagering on Wednesday as she secured her third win of the season and the 20^th of her career. She led an exacta and triple that paid $8.70 and $17.80. Misty Memory N, who was owned in partnership by Brett Derue, Steve Picarazzi and Scott Petillo of NY, was claimed out of Wednesday’s race.  The victory for Devaux in the feature for distaffers came one day after he enjoyed a three-win Tuesday afternoon at the Spa which was highlighted by him guiding Sports Obsession to a score in the $14,000 Open Pace.

Live racing will resume on Monday afternoon at Saratoga with first post time set for Noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Cheyanne Mandy

It isn’t often that a horse who wins a featured race in back-to-back weeks at Saratoga Casino Hotel winds up going off at 5-1 odds in his or her next try against a similar group. That was the case on Wednesday afternoon when Surreal Feeling (So Surreal) was somewhat ignored by the bettors in the $14,000 Fillies and Mares Open as she pursued a hat trick. Alek Chartrand picked up the catch-drive behind the Dale Lawton-trained mare whose early speed is so strong that she had no trouble making it to the top even from post position seven. Surreal Feeling paced the first half in 57.4 and was relatively untested through three quarters of 1:26.1. The six year old mare, who loves to win, did it again as she kicked away from her rivals in the stretch before stopping the timer in 1:55 for an open-length score. The victory was the fourth in a row for Surreal Feeling including three straight in the Spa feature for distaffers. Miss Irish Rose A (Larry Stalbaum) sat the pocket to the winner before finishing second while Thats Incredible (Brett Crawford) earned the show spot. Surreal Feeling paid $13.80 to win and led an exacta and triple that returned $147 and $880, respectively. Trainer Dale Lawton, of Verona, NY, co-owns Surreal Feeling with Chris Lawton, of Vernon, NY. The win in the feature was the first in an Open this season for reinsman Alek Chartrand who is in the midst of a terrific start to the 2021 campaign.

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

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino

For the second consecutive afternoon, trainer Rob Harmon won the feature at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Harmon, who races at numerous tracks throughout the northeast, has a high percentage in his starts at Saratoga over the course of the last few years. Most often, Harmon trainees that come to town do so to compete in features. With no Open on the card, the $10,000 Winners Over for fillies and mares served as the Wednesday feature.

Shecouldbegood N (Well Said) made her local debut on Wednesday for Harmon who teamed up with his regular Spa driver Jay Randall. The eight year old mare made a relatively easy lead in the Winners Over and reached the half in a comfortable 58.4 before being confronted by the race’s favorite Berazzled (Billy Dobson). Those two went toe-to-toe as the field bunched up past three quarters in 1:26.3. Shecouldbegood N put away the favorite around the final turn but next up was pocket-sitting Misty Memory N (Jimmy Devaux) who took her shot in the stretch.

The chase proved futile. Shecouldbegood N was the longest shot in the race when she stopped the timer in 1:55.4 to score in her local debut and give Harmon and Randall the feature winner at the Spa for the second straight day. Shecouldbegood N paid $15.20 to win and led an exacta with Misty Memory N second that paid $99. Thats Incredible (Shawn Gray) came on to finish third and complete a $126.50 triple in the five-horse feature.

Randall, who piloted the feature winner for the second consecutive day, also scored a victory on Wednesday behind Bontz N for trainer Gary Levine in what served as the “undercard” to the feature for fillies and mares. Bontz N, maybe the track’s top distaffer over the past few seasons, paced the fastest mile of the day as she stopped the clock in 1:55 in what was her third victory of the season.

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

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

Owners Chris and Dale Lawton have thrived in the ladies’ features in the early stages of the 2021 racing season at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The Central New York-based ownership team owns both top-flight mares Racine Bell and Surreal Feeling. Over the course of the last three Wednesdays at the Spa, those distaffers have recorded victories in a trio of features. Racine Bell, who is trained by Dave Dewhurst, won the local Open on March 17 when she scored with Brian Cross in the sulky. Surreal Feeling (So Surreal) has always enjoyed success at the Spa and the Dale Lawton trainee returned to town last Wednesday (March 31th) to compete in the $10,000 Winners Over for pacing mares. She had little difficultly going wire-to-wire in that one with Jimmy Devaux at the controls. This week, the six year old was assigned post six in the six-horse feature for the ladies but wasted no time moving out to the early lead. Surreal Feeling was hounded throughout the entire second-half of the mile by rival Berazzled (Billy Dobson) who was making her debut in the local Open but held strong in the stretch to prevail in a win photo scoring in 1:54 in the feature. For Surreal Feeling, it was victory number 24 in 71 lifetime starts. Berazzled was a strong second while Thats Incredible (Jay Randall) finished third. The exacta and triple in the feature paid $8.90 and $27.20, respectively, with the 1-5 favorite on top. The win in the feature was one of three on the card for Jimmy Devaux who currently sits third in the driver standings for the ’21 season.
Live racing resumes on Monday afternoon at Saratoga with a first post time of Noon.

Mike Sardella
Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino

Racine Bell (So Surreal) was up into the Fillies and Mares Open Pace on Wednesday at Saratoga Casino Hotel off a decisive victory in the $10,000 Winners Over for distaffers last week. The Dave Dewhurst-trained mare, who won the Open twice in 2020, drew post six in the six-horse Open this week and was asked for early speed from driver Brian Cross to overcome the outside post. The four year old former NY Sire Stakes stalwart worked hard to get to the top but made the front after a 27.3 first quarter. Cross gave the race’s 1-2 betting favorite a bit of a second-quarter breather as they reached the half in 57.2. Without facing a legit challenge, Racine Bell drew off from her rivals clicking off three quarters in 1:26 while opening up what wound up being an insurmountable lead. Pammy Jo (Shawn Gray), the runner-up to Racine Bell both last week and in the Open contested two weeks ago, wound up coming from off the pace to be second once again on Wednesday. The Charging Moa N (Jay Randall) sat the pocket to the winner but got outpaced heading to three-quarters before ending up finishing third. Racine Bell reported home a two-length winner and led an exacta and triple that paid $4.60 and $14.60, respectively, in a chalky feature. Racine Bell is owned by Chris and Dale Lawton of New York.

Live racing resumes on Monday afternoon and will feature some carryovers/jackpots for bettors to shoot for. There is a Pick 5 carryover of $4,005 starting in the first race of the day. The jackpots in the Jackpot Pick 6 and the Jackpot Super High 5 continue to grow as well. They sit at $4,150 for the Jackpot Pick 6 and $4,704 for the Jackpot High 5.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino

Invader Robyn Camden (Art Professor) has won at a high percentage in her somewhat limited tries at Saratoga Casino Hotel over the course of the last few years. On Wednesday afternoon, the Rob Harmon trainee was the 3-5 betting favorite in the season’s first local Open. Starting from post five in the five-horse Fillies and Mares Open, Robyn Camden got away last and sat patiently throughout a first half that went in 58.3. Longshot Pammy Jo (Shawn Gray) surged first-over approaching the half and Robyn Camden followed that distaffer’s cover into contention. When Pammy Jo cleared approaching the three-quarter pole, Robyn Camden shifted gears. The six year old mare confronted and then bypassed Pammy Jo in the stretch before edging away late to win in 1:55.2. Pammy Jo was a strong second while Racine Bell (Brian Cross) finished third in the first installment of the season of the $11,000 Fillies and Mares Open. Robyn Camden, who is owned by Jason Osullivan of Dublin, IR, paid $3.50 to win and led an exacta that returned $24.40. Jay Randall was the winning driver behind Robyn Camden who now has 31 wins in 67 lifetime starts. Harmon and Randall also teamed up for a victory on Wednesday with pacing mare Mamama Moonshine (Rockin Image) who made her local debut a winning one, going coast-to-coast in 1:57.2 in a $7,200 race.

Live racing resumes on Monday afternoon at Saratoga (March 7^th) with first post time set for Noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino

The tandem of trainer Jaymes McAssey and driver Shawn Gray scored a double on closing day at Saratoga Casino Hotel on Tuesday. The young conditioner and the veteran reinsman won the final feature of 2020 with Always Mindy (Always A Virgin) who made her local debut in the $10,000 Fillies and Mares Open.

Always Mindy was a $10,000 claim for McAssey at Plainridge back in September and after enjoying some success in Massachusetts this fall, the six year old mare made her Spa debut on Tuesday. In a race filled with early speed, Always Mindy sat back patiently in a first lap that went in 55.2.

The big favorite Racine Bell (Jimmy Devaux) was on the engine as she sought her third consecutive win in the local Open. The fractions took their toll on the public’s odds-on choice and Always Mindy surged past her in the stretch before stopping the timer in 1:53.4. Racine Bell was second while Come Get The Cash (Jay Randall) finished third. Always Mindy paid $17.80 in the Open upset and led an exacta and triple that came back $33.20 and $131, respectively. Always Mindy is owned by Greg Gardiner of Sheridan, MI.

McAssey and Gray completed their Tuesday double when claiming pacer Gottalovemyshadow (Shadow Play) made her return from Plainridge a winning one going coast-to-coast as the big favorite in her $4,250 race for distaffers. McAssey owns the six year old mare who had another solid year and won for the seventh time in 23 seasonal tries on Tuesday. Gray catch-drove pacer Nagle to victory to trainer Amanda Kelley later in the card to complete his hat trick on closing day.

Before the race card began, Billy Dobson and Gary Levine were awarded plaques in the winner’s circle in recognition of their achievements as leading driver and trainer, respectively, for the 2020 campaign. For Dobson, it was local driving title number eight while Levine took home the training title for the first time in his career. Racing is set to resume at Saratoga in early March of 2021. Until then, be well!

Mike Sardella

Photo: Cheyanne Mandy

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

Driver Shawn Gray came in to pilot two horses on Tuesday afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The veteran reinsman sat behind the Jaymes McAssey-trained Nerve Of Steel (Art Official) and Pasultimatedelite N (Bettor’s Delight). The former went wire-to-wire in a $5,200 claiming race while the latter sprung an upset in the $5,850 featured race for the ladies. Eleven year old Pasultimatedelite N is having a terrific 2020 campaign and won for the tenth time of the season on Tuesday. After going coast-to-coast last week, Pasultimatedelite N came from off the pace on Tuesday as Gray piloted the veteran distaffer perfectly, getting her cover heading to three quarters. With the track’s most consistent mare of the last two years Bontz N (Billy Dobson) on the engine, Pasultimatedelite N came charging hard in the stretch before springing the upset at odds of 8-1. The favorite Miss Irish Rose A (Larry Stalbaum) came on to be second while Bontz N held on to be third. Pasultimatedelite N paid $19.60 to win in the upset.

Nerve Of Steel N moved to claimers at Saratoga for the first time in a long time. The McAssey trainee cruised out to an early lead with Gray at the helm and proved dominant in a mile that went in 1:56.3. Nerve Of Steel N is owned by Pat O’Brien of New Hyde Park, NY who co-owns Pasultimatedelite N with George Hartman of Monroe Township, NJ. McAssey has had a terrific 2020 season and added two more victories to his strong tally on Tuesday with Gray guiding the way.

Live racing has just one week remaining for the season. Monday and Tuesday matinees will begin at Noon next week with Monday’s card highlighted by a Pick Five carryover of $2,787. The Pick Five is a 50 cent minimum wager and begins in the afternoon’s first race.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Cheyanne Mandy

For the second consecutive week, Birch Island Betty (Big Jim) swooped the group to win the Fillies and Mares Open at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The Eve Bergeron trainee recorded her first ever victory in the feature for distaffers last week when she tipped three-wide before charging home to score in 1:53.1. On Tuesday, the five year old was assigned the outside post in the $8,500 Open and driver Mitch Cushing settled in last in the seven-horse feature. The early speed was sizzling as the favorite in the race went to the quarter in a demanding 26.2 before reaching the half in 55.2 At that point, the backfield was in motion as last week’s Open runner-up Come Get The Cash (John Macdonald) and Birch Island Betty joined the outer flow and began to thrive after three quarters went in 1:24.2. Come Get The Cash struck the lead in the stretch but Birch Island Betty just kept surging before coming on to prevail in the photo for win in a mile clocked in 1:54.1. Birch Island Betty, who is owned by Dany Grenier of Quebec, Canada, recorded her fifth victory in fifteen seasonal tries, paying $11.80 to win. Come Get The Cash was the runner-up for the second consecutive week in the Open and completed an exacta that returned $58.50. Bontz N (Billy Dobson) rounded out the exact same triple as in last week’s feature. The triple returned a solid $163. Come Get The Cash came up just short of what would have resulted in a grand slam for her connections as trainer Brandy Wine and driver John Macdonald teamed up for three wins on the Tuesday card.

Live racing resumes next Monday (Sept 28) at Saratoga with a first post time set for Noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Cheyanne Mandy