St Lads Sterling (Control The Moment) won his first Open Pace at Saratoga Casino Hotel on May 27^th of this year. The Jackie Greene-trained pacer pulled off the upset that evening while dismissed at odds of 23-1. The four year old was no factor in last week’s installment of the $17,000 Saturday feature at the Spa and this weekend he drew post eight for his assignment against the track’s top pacers.

Jay Randall pilots St Lads Sterling who usually does his best work when coming from off the pace. This week, Randall unleashed the Greene trainee in the early going and made the lead into the first turn. The longest shot on the board at odds of35-1, St Lads Sterling blazed a trail behind him in a first lap that went in 55 seconds before clicking off three quarters in an eye-popping 1:22.3.

The upset-minded leader showed no signs of letting up and in fact held strong in the stretch to score in 1:52.1 for his second Open Pace victory in his last three starts. Wyatt J (Luke Hanners) finished second while Talking Tom (Chris Long) earned the show spot. St Lads Sterling, who is owned by Janie Kellogg and the Jackie Greene Stables of Fort Ann, NY, paid $73.50 to win while pulling off the biggest upset in an Open thus far in 2023 at the Spa.

He led an exacta and triple that returned $439 and $4,009, respectively. St Lads Sterling’s win was his fifth in sixteen starts on the season. Randall and Greene didn’t stop there. They teamed up for a victory with Im No Outlaw N (Bettor’s Delight) in a $12,500 conditional race on Saturday evening.

The New Zealand invader also was all but ignored by the bettors, paying $39.40 to win and complete a double for Greene and a hat trick for Randall who piloted three winners on the card.

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

Mike Sardella

Photo: Jessica Hallett

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

Lanjo Lee (So Surreal) enjoyed a magical 2022 season in which he earned over $100,000 competing in large part in the New York Sire Stakes. Now at the age of four, the Jeff Sorenson-trained pacer is on the comeback trail following a lengthy layoff. Making just his second start of the year last Saturday (May 27), he went coast-to-coast in 1:52.2 at Saratoga Casino Hotel to prevail in an upper level conditional race. This week, Lanjo Lee moved into the Open Pace where he drew post five for his try in the $17,000 feature.

Chris Long piloted the four year old who was the public’s second-choice in the wagering while at odds of 2-1. The race’s favorite Belmont Major N (Jimmy Devaux) worked hard in the early going carving out first-half fractions of 26.4 and 56.1 before being confronted by Lanjo Lee who powered up alongside the leader. From there, it was on. Belmont Major N and Lanjo Lee traded strides for nearly an entire half mile before Lanjo Lee imposed his will in the stretch to stop the timer in 1:52.

The win time matched the fastest for any horse at Saratoga in the ’23 campaign. Belmont Major N wound up as the runner-up in the Open for the second consecutive week while Nuttin But Finesse (Leon Bailey) earned the show spot. Lanjo Lee, who is owned by Gordon Swift of Bath, NY, paid $6.50 to win and led an exacta and triple that returned $26.60 and $83, respectively.

Live racing continues on Sunday afternoon with a first post time of noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Jessica Hallett

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

Trainer Lisa Zabielski and driver Chris Long teamed up for a pair of winners on the Saturday card at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Zabielski and Long won their first Open of the year when Optical Illusion N (He’s Watching) prevailed in the $16,000 feature. Long retook the lead heading to the opening quarter with the race’s 4-5 betting favorite and set a fast tempo with the Zabielski trainee who rattled off fractions of 27 and 56 seconds in lap one. Optical Illusion N was tasked with fending off a strong first-over bid from Belmont Major N (Jimmy Devaux), a task in which he succeeded holding off that rival to prevail in 1:52.1. Belmont Major N went a long way overland to finish second while Rocknroll Runa A (Matt Athearn) earned the show spot. A nominee for Pacer of the Year in 2022 at the Spa, Optical Illusion N’s victory was his first in the Open this season. He led an exacta and triple that paid $39.80 and $215, respectively. The seven year old New Zealand invader, who won twelve times in ’22, is owned by Kim Zabielski and his trainer Lisa Zabielski. Long and Zabielski teamed up later in the card for a victory with Mount Royal who scored in leg one of the Step Up To The Plate claiming series for pacers. Long piloted three winners on the Saturday card in total.

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

Mike Sardella

Photo: Jessica Hallett

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

Moonshine Kisses was named Pacer of the Year for the 2022 season at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The Jackie Greene trainee was a force in the Open despite only competing locally in just over half of his starts last season. After being a beaten favorite last week (Feb 18), Moonshine Kisses drew post eight for his try in the $17,000 Open Pace on Saturday night. Driver Jay Randall sat patiently in the early going with the standout, content to get away last in the eight-horse feature. The fractions were fast and as the closers started to make their move, it was quickly apparent that Moonshine Kisses was going to be a big time threat in the stretch. Randall unleashed the seven year old approaching the three-quarter pole and the star pacer took it from there. Moonshine Kisses overcame a deficit of more than a dozen lengths to score in 1:53 over a track labeled ‘good.’ Uncle Jord A (Shawn Gray) was a strong second in his second local start while the favored Optical Illusion N (Chris Long) had to settle for third. Moonshine Kisses paid $9.30 to win in the mild upset and led an exacta and triple that returned $52.50 and $116, respectively. The winner is owned by Kellogg Racing Stables LLC of Queensbury, NY.

Live racing continues on Sunday afternoon with a matinee that starts at noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Jessica Hallett

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

Rocknroll Runa A (Rock N Roll Heaven) came up just short in his debut in the local Open Pace on opening weekend at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Fast forward two weeks to Saturday night and the Larry Stalbaum trainee drew the rail for his second try in the $17,000 feature. Young reinsman Matt Athearn picked up the catch-drive behind Rocknroll Runa A who got away second behind Take A Gamble (Leon Bailey). That invader was the winner of the lone Open Pace contested on the young season at the Spa heading into Saturday’s tilt. This week, Take A Gamble’s first half fractions of 26.3 and 55.3 took their toll late and after going toe-to-toe with the favored Moonshine Kisses (Jay Randall), the leader faded. Rocknroll Runa A shook loose around the final turn and came charging hard on the outside in the stretch before coming on to win in 1:52, the fastest time for any horse in the ’23 campaign at the Spa. The longest shot on the board Belmont Major N (Jimmy Devaux) closed up the inside to finish second while Moonshine Kisses had to settle for third in his first try in the local Open this season. Rocknroll Runa A paid $13.60 to win in the mild upset and led big-priced exotics. The exacta returned $242.50 while the triple came back $444. Rocknroll Runa A is owned and trained by Larry Stalbaum whose barn had a pair of victories on the Saturday card. His former Spa Pacer of the Year Crockets Cullen N went coast-to-coast on Saturday with young pilot Brett Beckwith in the sulky.

Live racing continues on Sunday afternoon with a matinee that starts at noon. There is a Pick Five carryover of $2,609 in the matinee’s early Pick Five and a carryover of $2,017 in the late Pick Five.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Jessica Hallett

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

Nuttin But Finesse and driver Luke Hanners won Saturday night’s open pace in 1:52.2 This was Nuttin But Finesse’s 9th win in 2022. The 4 year-old Art Major is trained by Janice Connor.

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

Alluneedisfaith N (Art Major) has been nothing shy of dynamic since coming to Saratoga Casino Hotel late in the summertime. The Alicia Gray trainee has had to deal with outside posts in each of his local tries but has been undaunted finishing first or second in the six consecutive starts that he’s made in the Open Pace heading into his most recent try.

On Saturday night, Alluneedisfaith N drew post eight for his attempt in the $16,000 Open and left a bit at the start to settle in mid-pack. The race’s favorite worked hard in the early going but settled onto the front-end in a first half paced in 56.1. Alluneedisfaith N powered up on the outside and just unloaded on the favorite taking over the lead around the final turn.

Under just mild urging from driver Shawn Gray, Alluneedisfaith N reported home a length winner in a mile clocked in 1:53.4 on a chilly night in Saratoga. Longshot Crockets Cullen N (Larry Stalbaum) got away last in the eight-horse feature but came charging hard in the stretch before finishing second at odds of 30-1. Optical Illusion N (Chris Long) earned the show spot to continue what has been his breakout campaign at the Spa.

The morning line favorite, Alluneedisfaith N paid $7.60 to win in what was his fourth Open victory since coming to town in August and his eleventh win overall in the 2022 season. The eight year old is owned by Doug Overhiser of New Smyrna Beach, FL.

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

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser

Moonshine Kisses (Sunshine Beach) is making a late run at Pacer of the Year at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The Jackie Greene-trained pacer rattled off his third consecutive victory and fifth in his last six tries in the local Open Pace on Saturday. Contending with the outside post for the third straight week, he changed tactics just a bit this week and floated out a bit at the start.

Driver Jay Randall found placement in mid-pack with the race’s 4-5 betting favorite and pacesetter Crockets Cullen N (Larry Stalbaum) powered through a first half in 56.3, Moonshine Kisses bided his time. Randall unleashed the favorite heading to the three-quarter pole and when the Greene trainee made his move, it proved to be too much for his competition. Moonshine Kisses secured a decisive victory, stopping the timer in 1:52.3 for his ninth win of the season in just seventeen tries and his fifth in the last six starts in the local Open.

Crockets Cullen N finished second in a $10.20 exacta while longshot American R ebel (Luke Hanners) earned the show spot to round out a $52.50 triple. Moonshine Kisses is owned by Kellogg Racing Stables of Queensbury, NY.

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

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser

Moonshine Kisses (Sunshine Beach) continued his hot streak on Saturday night at Saratoga Casino Hotel when the Jackie Greene trainee rattled off his third consecutive win in the local Open Pace. The six year old, who has split his season between Saratoga and mostly Plainridge Park, put the swoop to the group once again in Saturday’s $16,000 Open when he went last to first with reinsman Jay Randall at the controls.

Moonshine Kisses prevailed in last weekend’s Open Pace when he pulled off a last-to-first move to stop the timer in 1:53. In his repeat effort, the star pacer again overcame his outside post by cruising past his rivals late to score in 1:53.3 in what was his eighth victory of the 2022 campaign and his third in the local Open in the month of October. On Saturday, the Greene trainee paid $4.80 as the race’s 7-5 betting favorite.

Pocket Of Terror A (Brett Beckwith) was the runner-up in the feature while longshot Crockets Cullen N (Larry Stalbaum) earned the show spot. The exacta and triple in the race returned $14.80 and $179.50, respectively. Moonshine Kisses is owned by the Kellogg Racing Stables of Queensbury, NY.

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

Saratoga Springs, New York

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser

Moonshine Kisses (Sunshine Beach) drew the outside post for Saturday night’s try in the Open Pace at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The Jackie Greene trainee is no stranger to winning Opens having done so on several occasions this season both locally and at Plainridge Park in Massachusetts. In Saturday’s installment of the $16,000 feature, he got away last in the six-horse Open.

The fractions were quick up front as they went to the half in 56.3 and when the favored Alluneedisfaith N (Shawn Gray) revved up the engine, the Jackie Green trainee followed him. Alluneedisfaith N was the even money favorite in the feature having finished first or second in six of his seven starts since moving to the stable of Alicia Gray in early August. That one powered up into contention while Moonshine Kisses tipped off his cover around the final turn.

It was Moonshine Kisses who paced fastest of all in the stretch surging past his rivals to score his second local Open win of the month coming on to get it in 1:53. The six year old, who is owned by the Kellogg Racing Stables of Queensbury, NY, secured his seventh victory of the season in just fifteen tries. Alluneedisfaith N lengthened his streak of finishing first or second when he was the runner-up Saturday to Moonshine Kisses completing a $13.80 exacta.

Talking Tom (Jimmy Devaux) finished third in a $56.50 triple. Jay Randall was the winning driver behind Moonshine Kisses.

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

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser