It was only fitting that Primo Uomo wrapped up his breakout year with his first career Open Pace victory on Saturday night at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The Dave Dewhurst trainee enjoyed a monster season in which he won the Dr. Richard Frank Memorial Pacing Series at the Spa this spring and continued to improve with every passing month.

The three year old joined the Open last month and finished second in his debut against the track’s top pacers. Following a third-place finish last week, Primo Uomo (Heston Blue Chip) started from post three for his try in Saturday’s final Open Pace of the 2023 campaign. Chris Long picked up the catch-drive behind the sophomore who showed speed to wind up in the pocket in the $15,000 feature.

The favored Willie Go West N (Brett Beckwith) set fast fractions of 27.1 and 56.4 on the front-end while Primo Uomo waited in the wings. Longshot East End (Billy Dobson), who debuted in the Open with a third place finish last week, came from well off the pace on Saturday and came motoring home before losing a photo with eventual winner Primo Uomo who stopped the timer in 1:54.2. Willie Go West N, the 2-5 public choice in the wagering, had to settle for the show spot. Primo Uomo’s win was his sixteenth of the year to put him among the top winning horses in North America.

Earnings from the Saturday score moved the Dewhurst trainee to a seasonal bankroll of just shy of $115,000. Primo Uomo paid $9.20 to win in the final Open Pace in ’23 and led an exacta and triple that returned $61.50 and $182, respectively. The super sophomore is owned by Chris and Dale Lawton of NY.

Live racing continues on Sunday afternoon with a matinee that serves as the final card for the 2023 season before racing resumes in early February. First post time Sunday is set for noon.

Mike Sardella

Jessica Hallett photo

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

Seventh Secret (Allamerican Native) recorded his third Open Pace victory of the season at Saratoga Casino Hotel when on Saturday night he went coast-to-coast for driver Jimmy Devaux who had a monster evening. The Lisa Zabielski-trained Seventh Secret has been saddled with terrible posts for months after recording a pair of wins in the local Open heading into Saturday when he drew post four in the $15,000 feature.

Devaux blasted the twelve year old off the car early and sizzled through a first quarter in 27 seconds. The veteran pacer cruised through a half in 56.3 without facing a challenge and appeared strong through three quarters in 1:25. The 8-5 betting favorite coasted in the stretch to win decisively by better than three lengths. Uncle Jord A (Shawn Gray) sat the pocket to finish second in the feature while Talking Tom (Chris Long) hit the board for the third consecutive week in the Open by earning the show spot.

Seventh Secret, who is owned by Mark Salerno of Felton, DE, won for the seventh time this season and third time in the Open Pace. Devaux, who is putting the finishing touches on his third straight driving title at the Spa, added six more wins to his bulky total on the Saturday card. Devaux and Zabielski teamed up for a pair of winners as their Initial Concept joined his stablemate Seventh Secret in recording Saturday scores.

Live racing continues on Sunday at Saratoga with a matinee beginning at noon.

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

Trainer Jackie Greene dominated the action on Saturday night at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The two-time leading trainer recorded three wins on the card including a victory in the evening’s featured race. Im No Outlaw N (Bettor’s Delight) drew post four for his try in the $16,050 Open Pace and was put in gear from the get-go by driver Jay Randall. The eight year old New Zealand import traveled unopposed in a first half that went in 57.1 and remained untested through three quarters of 1:25.4.

When Randall pushed the button on Im No Outlaw N, the speedy pacer responded cruising out to a decisive lead in the stretch before stopping the timer in 1:53.3 to record his first Open win since coming to Saratoga last season. Talking Tom (Chris Long) got the pocket ride behind Im No Outlaw N and finished second while Addison Hanover (Billy Dobson) earned the show spot in his second ever start in the Open Pace. Im No Outlaw N, who is owned by the Kellogg Races Stables and Jackie Greene Stables, paid $8.10 to win and led an exacta and triple that returned $21 and $100.50, respectively.

Greene kept piling up the wins on the evening as she registered impressive victories with her Ace Of Aces and Ahi Sunshine who each won for the first time since moving to the Greene barn in October. Both Ace Of Aces and Ahi Sunshine’s victories were so impressive that they actually scored in faster times on Saturday than did the Open winner, prevailing in 1:53 and 1:52.1, respectively. Billy Dobson piloted both Ace Of Aces and Ahi Sunshine to their Saturday scores.

Live racing continues on Sunday afternoon at Saratoga with a matinee set to begin at noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Jessica Hallett

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

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