Powerscourt (Credit Winner) won his first ever Open Trot on Sunday afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The six year old was a New York Sire Stakes star early on in his career and in recent seasons has taken to facing top-level trotters at the Spa. Just two weeks removed from a mild upset victory in a $13,000 Winners Over trot, Powerscourt drew post two for Sunday’s try in the $15,000 trotting feature.

Mickey McGivern pilots Powerscourt for trainer Cheryl McGivern and sat fourth throughout the first 5/8 of a mile on Sunday before taking his shot at local trotting stalwart Squee Hanover approaching three-quarters. Powerscourt, who was dismissed at odds of 28-1, charged past the leader before holding off a late bid from fellow longshot Hot Wheelz (Luke Hanners) in the stretch to score in 1:57.4. Xcuseme (John Stark Jr), who finished second in last Sunday’s Open, earned the show spot to continue his strong start to the 2022 campaign.

Powerscourt paid $59.50 to win in the big Open upset and led a hefty exacta and triple that came back $592 and $2,346, respectively. The winner is owned by Charles Foster, William Carroll and Mike Sentiwany, all of New York. A McGivern double was completed when young trotter Titan On The Rail ( E L Titan) went back-to-back on Sunday. The four year old matched his win time from last week when he stopped the timer in 2:02.1 with Mickey McGivern in the sulky. Titan On The Rail’s upset came at odds of 7-1.

Live racing continues on Monday afternoon with a matinee starting at Noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

A fixture in the Open over the course of the last couple of seasons, Gigfy (Broadway Hall) has been the star among trotters in the opening month of the meet at Saratoga Casino Hotel. On Sunday afternoon, the Brian Mattison trainee made it look easy prevailing in the feature. Gigfy was the betting public’s 4-5 favorite in the $15,000 Open Trot and wasted no time taking the lead. Driver Alek Chartrand powered the speedy trotter to an early and easy lead and from there, it was over. The eight year old cruised unopposed through a first half in 59 seconds and never faced an anxious moment before stopping the timer in 1:56.2. The win was his second in three starts in the Open this year with a second-place finish sandwiched in between the victories. Longshot Xcuseme (John Stark Jr) sat the pocket to the winner and wound up as the runner-up while Powerscourt (Mickey McGivern) rounded out the triple. The exacta and triple with the favorite on top paid $36.80 and $341, respectively. Gigfy is owned by Gerald D’Alessandro of Ocala, FL and Bridgette Mattison of Watervliet, NY. With the two Open wins in opening month, Gigfy has already surpassed his total from 2021 when he recorded just one victory in the feature for trotters.

Live racing continues on Monday afternoon at Saratoga with a President’s Day matinee set to kick off at Noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser

Last year marked the breakout season for Squee Hanover (Crazed) as the Andy Gardner trainee won the local Open Trot seven times. After finishing up his campaign in red-hot fashion, Squee Hanover took about a month and a half off before returning to the Open last Sunday (Feb 6). The six year old finished third in his seasonal debut and on Monday afternoon Squee Hanover looked to get back into the win column while participating in the $15,000 feature. Billy Dobson was the regular reinsman for Squee Hanover during the majority of his late season hot streak in ’21 and has gotten off to a great start to his 2022 campaign in the sulky. Dobson powered Squee Hanover out to a pretty easy lead on Monday and from there, it was over. The Gardner stable star loves the front-end and held firm on the engine before trotting away from his rivals in a mile clocked in 1:56.3 to record his first Open victory of the year. Last week’s Open winner Gigfy (Alek Chartrand) charged hard in the stretch to get up for second while Xcuseme (John Stark Jr) earned the show spot. Squee Hanover was one of two 8-5 co-favorites on Monday and subsequently paid $5.40 to win. The exacta and triple in the trotting feature returned $20.80 and $74, respectively. Squee Hanover, who is owned by the Exceed Stables of Lamar, PA, gave his trainer Andy Gardner one of his three winners on the Monday card.

Live racing continues on Tuesday afternoon with a matinee carded in place of the regular Sunday matinee which didn’t occur due to it being Super Bowl Sunday. First post time Tuesday is set for Noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser

Gigfy, trained by Brian Mattison and driven by Alek Chartrand, won this season’s first feature trot in 1:58.1.

Larry Stalbaum wrapped up his training title at Saratoga Casino Hotel on Monday afternoon when his Big Box Hanover (Uncle Peter) scored impressively in the matinee’s feature. Stalbaum took home the award for both Trainer of the Year and Horseman of the Year after having just a sensational 2021 season at the Spa. On Monday, Big Box Hanover won the Open Trot for the third time since joining the Stalbaum stable in November. The four year old is wrapping up his third consecutive season of six-figure earnings and although he was a beaten favorite in the two installments of the Open leading up to Monday’s try, he proved up to the task in impressive fashion. Big Box Hanover wound up in the pocket behind aggressive and speedy leader Gigfy (Alek Chartrand) who has consistently finished second or third all year long and certainly of late. Gigfy tried to fend off Big Box Hanover in the stretch but his efforts were thwarted as the Stalbaum trainee cruised by to win in an impressive 1:54.2. Gigfy finished second while Xcuseme (John Stark Jr) earned the show spot. The win time serves as a new lifetime mark for Big Box Hanover whose Open victory was his third in six local tries. The winner is owned by the Red White & Blue Racing Stable of Matamoras, PA. Stalbaum’s Bucketlist Hanover completed a double for the Horseman of the Year as he came from off the pace to score in a $10,700 race for trotters.

Live racing continues on Tuesday afternoon for closing day of the 2021 meet at Saratoga with racing set to resume on February 5, 2022. Closing day will feature a jackpot carryover of $9,370 in the Jackpot Super High Five which takes place in the afternoon’s finale. First post time on Tuesday is set for 12 Noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser

Squee Hanover finished as the runner-up for Trotter of the Year honors at Saratoga Casino Hotel in 2021 and the Andy Gardner trainee continued his breakout campaign on Monday afternoon. Finishing second in the voting to Cash Me Out, Squee Hanover is enjoying his career year and won the Open Trot for the seventh time of the season on Monday. Billy Dobson has been piloting the five year old for the last few months and finished first or second with him in every start but one dating back to the summertime. Drawing the outside post on Monday, Squee Hanover wound up starting from post five after a scratch and got away last of them all. The race’s favorite Big Box Hanover (Larry Stalbaum) worked hard in the early stages and though he got the lead he wanted, it took fractions of 27.1 and 56.4 in lap one for him. Squee Hanover revved up the engine and took his shot at the leader heading to three quarters. Those two squared off in a heavy duty duel before Squee got the best of Big Box in the battle of the Hanovers. Squee Hanover stopped the timer in 1:55.3 to register his seventh Open victory and thirteenth win for the season overall. Big Box Hanover had to settle for second while Gigfy (Alek Chartrand) earned the show spot. Squee Hanover, who is owned by Exceed Stables of Lamar, PA, paid $4.40 to win and led an exacta and triple that returned $8.70 and $12.60, respectively, in the five-horse feature.

Live racing continues on Tuesday afternoon with a first post time set for noon. There is a Pick Five carryover of $3,680. The Pick Five begins in the first race on the matinee card.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser

Big Box Hanover (Uncle Peter) made his local debut a winning one on Monday afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Larry Stalbaum took over the training duties of the four year old trotter this week and powered him out in the early going in Monday’s $15,000 feature. Big Box Hanover worked hard posting a 27.1 first quarter before getting a half in 57 seconds. The race’s favorite Squee Hanover (Billy Dobson) got away last and ran into some traffic trouble while pursuing Big Box Hanover who had plenty left late in the mile to win in 1:56. Squee Hanover was the runner-up in the Open Trot for the second consecutive week while Gigfy (Alek Chartrand) finished third. The exacta and triple with the 2-1 second choice winning the race paid $10.80 and $67.50, respectively. The win for Big Box Hanover, who is owned by Bruce Soulsby and Dalton Walls of Ohio, was his eighth of the year for a trotter who has earned six figures in all three of his career racing seasons. Stalbaum maintains a slight lead over Melissa Beckwith in the battle to be leading trainer for the 2021 campaign at the Spa.

The Pick Five was not hit for the second consecutive day on Monday and leaves a carryover of $13,412 for Tuesday’s installment of the Pick Five which starts in the matinee’s first race at noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser

Madhatter Bluechip (Muscle Hill) is in the midst of a big time comeback campaign after missing all of the 2020 season. The Tom Milici-trained trotter posted an Open win at Yonkers in September and returned to Saratoga Casino Hotel last week (November 1) off a three week layoff. Madhatter Bluechip finished second to Squee Hanover in that start. The nine year old got his chance at revenge on Monday afternoon at the Spa when he started from post four in a five-horse Open Trot which served as the feature on the card. Leading driver Jimmy Devaux wasted little time moving Madhatter Bluechip to the front-end where he put up fast fractions in lap one. Posting fractions of 27.2 and 57 seconds in the first half, Madhatter Bluechip faced very little pressure throughout the mile. The favored Squee Hanover (Billy Dobson) revved up the engine late in the mile before getting caught three-wide around the final turn. Madhatter Bluechip scampered away to win by a length and a half in a fast 1:54.4 as the race’s 7-5 second-choice in the wagering. Squee Hanover stayed hot and finished second while Cash Me Out (Phil Fluet) earned the show spot in the $15,000 feature for high-steppers. For Madhatter Bluechip, it was victory number eight on the season. The earnings from the win put the veteran over the $100,000 mark for the ’21 campaign and over the $400,000 plateau for his career. The exacta and triple in the Open paid $9.60 and $24.40, respectively. For the meet’s leading driver Jimmy Devaux, the victory in the feature was one of five on the day as he looks to cement his first ever Saratoga driving title.

Live racing continues on Tuesday afternoon with a matinee starting at noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser

Over the course of the last two months, Squee Hanover (Crazed) has been the dominant force among local trotters at Saratoga Casino Hotel. In the midst of his breakout campaign, Squee Hanover headed into Monday’s try in the $15,000 Open Trot with victories in three of his last four Open tries and in four of his last six attempts in the trotting feature. On Monday, Billy Dobson sat behind the Andy Gardner trainee who drew post six in the six-horse Open and came from off the pace. Squee Hanover rushed up first-over after a first lap that went in 57.3. The razor sharp five year old served as cover for Yonkers invader Madhatter Bluechip (Jimmy Devaux) who chased the favorite throughout but came up second-best in a mile clocked in 1:55.4. For Squee Hanover, it was the fifth Open Trot win of the season and the eleventh victory in ’21 overall. Madhatter Bluechip was the runner-up while Oh So Pine (Larry Stalbaum) earned the show spot. The exacta and triple, with the 6-5 favorite on top, came back $13.60 and $53.50, respectively. Squee Hanover is owned by Exceed Stables of Lamar, PA. For the second consecutive day, Dobson piloted four winners the card.

Live racing continues at Saratoga on Tuesday afternoon with a noon start to the action.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Cheyanne Mandy

Squee Hanover (Crazed) continued his stable’s hot streak on Monday afternoon when the up-and-coming Andy Gardner trainee won the Open Trot at Saratoga Casino Hotel for the second time in the last three weeks. The five year old won the $15,000 Open for the first time in his career two weeks ago when he went coast-to-coast in a lifetime-best matching 1:55.2. On Monday over a sloppy track at the Spa, Squee Hanover worked hard in the early going and raced parked to the first quarter in 27.2. With Billy Dobson at the controls, the Gardner trainee didn’t get much of a breather before reaching the half in 56.2. Bridge Works (Jimmy Devaux), who owns four feature wins this summer, moved three-wide late in the mile and came charging towards the leader but the chase proved to be futile. Squee Hanover stopped the timer in 1:56.1 while scoring by almost two lengths. Bridge Works was the runner-up in the Open for the second consecutive week while Mister Muscle (Brett Beckwith) finished third. Squee Hanover, who is owned by the Exceed Stables of Lamar, PA, continued what has been a strong stretch for conditioner Andy Gardner who scored a pair of victories on Sunday’s card and has rolled his summer successes right over into the fall. The 38 year old conditioner currently sits fourth in the trainer standings this season at the Spa. The Open winner paid $12.00 to win and led an exacta and triple that returned $58.50 and $222.50, respectively.

Live racing continues on Tuesday afternoon with a matinee starting at noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino