Mach Le More A (Mach Three) won his first Open Pace at Saratoga Casino Hotel back in April. The seven year old Amanda Kelley trainee is in the midst of a career year and has spent much of it racing in the local Winners Over, a level one below the Open. On occasion, Mach Le More A steps up into the regular Saturday feature and finished second and third place in his last two starts against the track’s best heading into this week’s try.

Leon Bailey pilots the Kelley trainee and powered him out to the early lead in the $16,000 feature. With very little speed to test him in the early going, Mach Le More A enjoyed leisurely first-half fractions of 28.1 and 57.2 with Ucanttouchthis (Brett Beckwith), the race’s favorite, sitting in the pocket. He took advantage of those soft early fractions and paced up a storm in the final half before powering away to win in 1:52 pacing his back half in 54.3.

Ucanttouchthis finished a solid second in his Open debut while Somebeach Baron (Shawn Gray) earned the show spot. Mach Le More A set a new lifetime mark with his 1:52 score which was the eighth win in the Open Pace this year for owner ScheigertandAllies LLC, of Saratoga Springs, and trainer Amanda Kelley. Mach Le More A paid $7.50 to win and led an exacta and triple that returned $22.20 and $90.50, respectively.

Live racing continues on Sunday evening at the Spa in Saratoga Springs with a first post time set for 6:45pm.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser

Nuttin But Finesse (Art Major) drew the rail for his try in Saturday’s installment of the $16,000 Open Pace at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Luke Hanners has been the regular reinsman for the Janice Connor-trained pacer who is in the midst of a career year. The 2021 campaign could be considered the breakout season for Nuttin But Finesse who won seven times last year en route to earnings of just shy of $50,000.

On Saturday, the four year old took advantage of his inside post and cut the mile in the feature. Setting first half fractions of 27.1 and 55.4, Nuttin But Finesse continued to set a fast pace clicking off three quarters in 1:23.1 while confronted by rival Moonshine Kisses (Billy Dobson) who took to the first-over path to try and reel in the leader.

Nuttin But Finesse added “Open winner” to his growing resume as he held strong in the stretch to prevail in 1:51. The clocking not only served as a new lifetime mark for the Connor trainee but also made him the fastest pacer thus far this season at Saratoga. Moonshine Kisses toughed it out to be second while pocket-sitter Mach Le More A (Leon Bailey) earned the show spot.

Nuttin But Finesse was the race’s 8-5 betting favorite and led an exacta and triple that paid $32 and $116, respectively. Hanners became the fifth different driver to the win the last five installments of the Open Pace this summer. The young reinsman piloted three winners on the Saturday card.

Live racing continues on Sunday evening at Saratoga with NY Sire Stakes action taking center stage. First post time for Sunday’s card is set for 6:45pm.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Cheyanne Mandy

On Saturday evening, Lake Charles (Well Said) became the second horse to win as many as five Opens this season at Saratoga Casino Hotel when the Amanda Kelley trainee prevailed in the $16,000 Open Pace. Lake Charles powered out from post position five on Saturday to make the lead but was quickly confronted by the race’s favorite whose attempted quarter move was rebuffed.

The five year old sizzled through a first half in 55.1 before being met with the challenge of Apex Seelster (Jimmy Devaux) who hit the board in all four of his local starts heading into Saturday’s try in the feature. Lake Charles drew clear again in the stretch before hanging on to win in 1:52. Apex Seelster was a strong runner-up while longshot American Zest A (Larry Stalbaum) came on to finish third. Lake Charles paid $8.40 to win and led an exacta and triple that returned $42.20 and $435.50, respectively.

The victory was the fifth in Open company at the Spa this season for Lake Charles who matched pacing mare Chasethecloudsaway as the winningest Open horses in the 2022 campaign. Saturday’s winner is owned by Scheigert&Alliesracing LLC of Saratoga Springs, NY. 

Live racing continues on Sunday afternoon in Saratoga Springs and will feature a Pick 5 carryover of $1,374 with the Pick 5 beginning in the matinee’s first race. Post time is set for Noon.   

Mike Sardella 

Photo: Melissa Simser

Vel Mr Nice Guy won Saratoga Casino Hotel‘s Saturday Night Open Pace in his first start at Saratoga for trainer Melissa Beckwith. The four year old gelding was driven to the win by Billy Dobson in 1:52.2

Watch live racing HERE.

Im Sir Blake A (Alta Christiano N) came into his local debut off a three week layoff on Saturday night at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The Erv Miller-trained seven year old is in the midst of a career season that has seen him pile up over $120,000 in earnings while competing primarily at Yonkers Raceway. The seven year old made his Spa debut in Saturday’s $16,000 Open Pace and was the assigned the outside post in the five-horse feature.

Veteran Artful Way (Billy Dobson) cut the mile in the feature and was pushed to the limit by a first-over bid from the favored Belmont Major N (Leon Bailey) while Im Sir Blake A followed his cover into the final turn. The invader powered up to take over the lead in the stretch and had enough left to withstand a late bid from Apex Seelster (Jimmy Devaux) who wound up coming up second-best to Im Sir Blake A who paid $5.50 to win as the 8-5 second choice in the wagering.

The exacta with Apex Seelster returned $17 while the triple, which was completed by Belmont Major N, came back $29.60. Im Sir Blake A, who is owned by Doug Overhiser of Shorewood, IL, paced the mile in 1:51.2, a final time that serves as the fastest for any horse this season at Saratoga. He was driven to the Open score by Shawn Gray.

Live racing continues on Sunday afternoon at the Spa with NY Sire Stakes action highlighting a 13-race card. First post time is set for Noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Cheyanne Mandy

Mikibytheseaside (Always B Miki) was a winning machine upon coming to Saratoga Casino Hotel late last season. Trainer Andy Sardella acquired the young pacer in the fall of 2021 and wound up resting the then three year old after he scored victories in his first three local starts. After beginning his ’22 campaign with yet another victory in early April, Mikibytheseaside entered the Open.

The rising star was the runner-up in his first three starts in the $15,000 Open Pace before hitting a brief lull. The four year old Sardella trainee drew the rail for Saturday’s installment of the feature for pacers and despite being installed as the 3-1 second choice in the morning line was dismissed at odds of 7-1. Yonkers invader Picard A (Jimmy Devaux) set sizzling fractions on the front end and although Mikibytheseaside was part of the early speed tussle, he popped the pocket heading towards the three-quarter pole.

The young pacer ground the leader into submission turning for home before holding off a late charge from rival Belmont Major N (Leon Bailey) in the stretch to record his first Open victory. Belmont Major N closed to finish second while the favored Points North (Luke Hanners) earned the show spot. Mikibytheseaside paid $16.00 to win in the mild upset and led an exacta and triple that came back $46.20 and $108, respectively. The winner is owned by Mike and Bill Pozefsky of NY who recorded double on the card as their Gokudo Hanover (Shawn Gray) prevailed in a $9,350 event for claiming pacers.

Live racing continues on Sunday afternoon at Saratoga with a first post set for 12 Noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser

Lake Charles (Well Said) continued what has been a terrific start to the season in the Open Pace at Saratoga Casino Hotel for trainer Amanda Kelley when the five year old pacer won the featured race on Saturday evening. He enjoyed a strong 2021 campaign at the Spa winning the Open three times in his first local season out of the Kelley stable, including two of the final three installments of the feature for pacers on the year. His successes spilled right over to ’22 as Lake Charles scored an Open win in both February and March at Saratoga before stopping the timer in 1:51.4 for a victory in a $22,500 race for top-flight pacers at Plainridge a couple of weeks ago.

On Saturday night, driver Leon Bailey powered Lake Charles out to the front end and despite posting first-half fractions of 27.1 and 56 seconds had plenty left for the final half en route to a wire-to-wire win in the $15,000 Open. Somebeach Baron (Shawn Gray) sat the pocket and finished second while Mikibytheseaside (Jay Randall) earned the show spot in a sizzling mile paced in 1:513. Lake Charles paid $4.60 to win as the 6-5 favorite and led an exacta and triple that returned $27.20 and $82.50, respectively.

The Open Pace win was the fifth for the Kelley stable who secured victories this season with Mach Le More and Belmont Major N in addition to three Open scores with Lake Charles in the first few months of the ’22 campaign at Saratoga. Lake Charles is owned by Scheigert and allies racing LLC of Saratoga Springs.

Live racing continues on Sunday afternoon at Saratoga with a matinee that begins at 12 Noon.

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser

Longtime local superstar Artful Way (Artistic Fella) made his return to Saratoga Casino Hotel on Saturday night. The Jackie Greene trainee last raced at the Spa in late March when he prevailed in the Open Pace. The ten year old recorded another Open win at Plainridge Park last month but then returned to town off a clunker. Artful Way was one of the 8-5 co-favorites in Saturday’s $15,000 feature and moved right out to the early lead with Billy Dobson guiding the way.

Repeal Or Replace (So Surreal), who took late board support to be the race’s other 8-5 shot, left to sit the pocket to Artful Way as the three-time Saratoga Pacer of the Year set fractions of 27.2 and 57 seconds in the first half. Leading driver Jimmy Devaux popped the pocket around the final turn and the battle was on as the co-favorites traded strides in the stretch before Repeal Or Replace took over under the shadow of the wire. Artful Way came up second best while longshot Somebeach Baron (Shawn Gray) finished third in his local debut.

Repeal Or Replace is owned by Karma Racing Inc of Parkland, FL and trained by John Podres. The win in the Open Pace wasn’t the first in the local career of the five year old who scored in the Spa’s featured race for pacers last November. Paying $5.30 to win on Saturday night, Repeal Or Replace led an exacta and triple that returned $19.40 and $78, respectively. The win in the Open was one of four on the evening for Jimmy Devaux as he padded his lead in the local driver standings while seeking to repeat as the track’s leading driver after winning his first Spa title in 2021.

Live racing continues on Sunday afternoon with a first post time of 12 Noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser

Record Year, trained by Jaymes McAssesy and driven by Billy Dobson, won Saturday night’s feature at Saratoga in 1:53.2

photo by: Cheyanne Mandy