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

Hudson Phil (Shanghai Phil) made his return to the Saratoga Casino Hotel winner’s circle on Tuesday afternoon, an area is has been very familiar with over the course of the last few years. The Jackie Greene-trained five year old rattled off eight Open Pace victories in 2019, the second most of any horse at the Spa last season. Recently, Hudson Phil has spent much of his time competing out of town but the standout pacer raced in Tuesday’s $8,500 at Saratoga and went off at odds of 5-2. Fresh off a stint at Yonkers and the Meadowlands, Hudson Phil flashed early speed on Tuesday with driver Shawn Gray finding an early spot with him in a first quarter that went in 26.2. Hudson Phil wasn’t on the inside very long as he moved first-over on the leader after a 55.4 half. Working hard on the outside in a 28 second third quarter, Hudson Phil took the lead turning for home and narrowly held off the stretch threat from Funknwaffles (Billy Dobson) who came up just inches shy at the wire. Superstar pacer Crockets Cullen N (Larry Stalbaum) followed the cover of Hudson Phil before finishing third in the mile clocked in 1:53.2. The win was third of the season for Hudson Phil and just the second in the local Open Pace. He paid $7.70 to win and led an exacta with Funknwaffles second that returned $23.20. The triple with Crockets Cullen N third paid $49.80. Hudson Phil is owned by the Kellogg Racing Stables of Queensbury, NY.

Live racing continues on Wednesday evening at Saratoga with a first post time of 7:15pm. New York Sire Stakes action is featured with three year old trotting fillies taking center stage highlighted by a $156,600 race for the ladies.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino

Crockets Cullen N (Christian Cullen) has been an absolute force in the Open Pace at Saratoga Casino Hotel for the last year and continued his dominance in Sunday afternoon’s feature. Larry Stalbaum owns, trains and drives Crockets Cullen N who finished up his 2019 campaign on a nine-race win streak in the local Open Pace. He began his ’20 season in style by winning yet another feature before going on what was, for him, a cold streak. Heading into last Sunday’s (June 28) Open, Crockets Cullen N had gone four starts at the Spa without a victory but broke that rare losing streak after getting a pocket trip behind the race’s betting favorite Hudson Phil (Shawn Gray) and besting him in the stretch.

On Sunday afternoon, Crockets Cullen N took on Hudson Phil once again as the top two pacers from 2019 at the Spa wound up squaring off in the stretch for yet another time. Stalbaum moved Crockets Cullen N out to the early lead in the $8,500 feature and after setting first-half fractions of 27.1 and 56.2 cruised past three quarters in 1:24.3 before facing his first challenge. Hudson Phil came from off the pace and followed live cover into a striking spot before fanning three-wide around the final turn. The chase proved to be in vain as Crockets Cullen N dug in to win yet another installment of the Saratoga Open Pace, scoring in 1:53.1. Hudson Phil came up second-best and now has been the runner-up in all three Opens since the return from the pandemic shutdown. Deetzy (Jay Randall) earned the show spot for the second straight week in the pacing feature. Crockets Cullen N paid $4.90 to win as the 7-5 second-choice in the betting. The exacta with the favored Hudson Phil second returned $10.20 while the triple with Deetzy third came back $30.40.

Live racing resumes on Wednesday afternoon with a 13-race card featuring NY Sire Stakes action. Two year old trotting fillies will be featured on Wednesday with first post time set for 12 noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino