Dewey Arnold (Deweycheatumnhowe) has had a magical year in 2021 and the young trotter added another credential to his resume on Monday afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The Dave Dewhurst-trained trotter was a dominant force in the New York Sire Stakes this summer and came into his second lifetime try in the local Open Trot with ten wins and five second-place finishes in nineteen starts in ’21. Dewey Arnold finished second in last Monday’s (Sept 20) feature and thus wound up being the 2-5 favorite in this week’s $15,000 Open after drawing post position three. Leading driver Jimmy Devaux tried to put the super sophomore trotter into play early but instead of getting mired in an early speed duel backed Dewey Arnold off in the early going. With Bridge Works (Wally Hennessey), a four-time Open winner in his own right this summer, on the front-end, Dewey Arnold was left to approach that one via the first-over path. Those two locked horns throughout the final quarter of a mile before Dewey Arnold surged in the stretch to come on and win in 1:55.1. Bridge Works was a solid second while Mister Muscle (Brett Beckwith) earned the show spot. For Dewey Arnold, the earnings from the win moved his bankroll to over $245,000 in what has been simply a sensational season for the three year old. The 2-5 betting favorite on Monday led an exacta and triple that paid $6.30 and $27.80, respectively. Dewey Arnold is owned by Philip Hale in addition to his trainer Dave Dewhurst. The Open score was one of       five on the afternoon for Jimmy Devaux who is poised to win his first ever driving title at Saratoga this season and enjoyed one of his biggest days of the meet on Monday.

Live racing continues on Tuesday afternoon at Saratoga with a matinee that is set to kickoff at Noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino

Squee Hanover (Crazed) continued the hot streak for his stable on Monday afternoon when the five year old won the Open Trot at Saratoga Casino Hotel for the first time in his career. Coming in off of a wire-to-wire win in the $13,000 Winners Over for trotters last week, Squee Hanover stayed sharp with a front-running score in Monday’s $15,000 feature. The Andy Gardner stable has been on a tear of late and scored its first Open win of the season when Squee Hanover flexed his muscles early on, getting to the top in 27.3 before reaching the half in 57.1. Dispatching a first-over challenge, Squee Hanover powered away after clicking off three quarters in 1:25.4. The favorite Dewey Arnold (Jimmy Devaux) began to rev it up from the rear and came powering home in the stretch but fell just short, coming up second-best to Squee Hanover who stopped the timer in 1:55.2 in his first Open score. Dewey Arnold was the runner-up while Bucketlist Hanover (Larry Stalbaum) closed to be third. Squee Hanover, who is owned by the Exceed Stables of Lamar, PA, paid $13.00 to win in the mild upset and led an exacta and triple that returned $68.50 and $504. The winner was driven to victory by Phil Fluet. Gardner and Fluet teamed up for another score on Monday as well as young trotter Ready For Workout (Whataworkout) prevailed in his first start out of the Gardner barn to complete the double for his connections.

Live racing continues on Tuesday afternoon at Saratoga with a matinee kicking off at noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino

Bridge Works (Dejambro) kept his stable red hot on Monday afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel as the up-and-coming star scored his fourth Open Trot victory of the season. The Brett Derue barn has been on a tear this year and the top-flight conditioner added another pair of wins to his tally when Bridge Works went coast-to-coast in the $15,000 Monday feature to finish off a trainer’s double. The five year old trotter worked hard early and clicked off a first quarter of 27.3 before getting a breather to the half in 58 seconds. Bridge Works faced very little pressure before stopping the timer in 1:56.2. Lazzaro (Billy Dobson) toughed out a first-over trip to finish second in the Open while Bucketlist Hanover (Larry Stalbaum) earned the show spot. Bridge Works was the second of back-to-back winners on Monday for Derue and driver Wally Hennessey who teamed up for a victory in a $10,000 trotting race with Manny L who overcame post eight to prevail in his return to the Spa. For owners Picarazzi, Petillo, Bullard and Derue, it was the second Open win at Saratoga in as many days as their Simple Kinda Man was a resounding victor in Sunday’s $15,000 feature for pacers on Sunday afternoon. The Monday Open winner paid $5.80 to win and led an exacta and triple that returned $43 and $342.50, respectively.

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

Mike Sardella
Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino

For the second week in a row and the eighth time this season, Cash Me Out (Cash Hall) won the local Open Trot on Tuesday afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The Kyle Spagnola trainee moved his career earnings to over the $1.3 million mark after recording his 67^th lifetime victory. Drawing post eight for the Tuesday installment of the $15,000 Open, Cash Me out flashed early speed and cruised to the top. Though the ten year old had to work hard to get the lead in a first quarter of 27.2, driver Phil Fluet gave him a breather before reaching the half in 57.2.  With the favored Bridge Works (Wally Hennessey) getting the pocket ride, Cash Me Out fended off a challenge from Gettin Messi (Chris Long) around the final turn before holding off Bridge Works in the stretch to prevail in 1:55.2, a seasonal best-matching win time. Cash Me Out’s victory came in what was his 250^th career race so it was only fitting that the former Trotter of the Year at the track (at the current favorite for the honor once again this season) added another win to his tally on Tuesday. Dismissed at odds of 9-1, Cash Me Out paid $21.20 in his most recent victory and led an exacta with the favored Bridge Works second that came back $61. The triple with Gettin Messi hanging on for third returned $303. Cash Me Out is owned by Mike Traylor of Ballston Spa, NY.

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

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino

Cash Me Out did what Cash Me Out does on Monday afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The ten year old veteran recorded yet another victory in the Open Trot in the matinee’s feature. The winningest horse in the Open over the course of the last several seasons, Cash Me Out left at the start but got shuffled a bit in a first half that went in a sizzling 55.4. The longshot leader Gigfy (Alek Chartrand) began to tire around the final turn and when pocket sitter Bold Creation (Jimmy Devaux) slid to the outside, Cash Me Out closed sharply up the rail and came on to win in 1:56.4. Bold Creation, the longest shot on the board, finished second while Gigfy held on for third. Cash Me Out continues to pile up wins in the Open Trot as the veteran added to his $1.29 million in career earnings with his ninth victory of 2021. Mike Traylor, of Ballston Spa, NY, owns the millionaire who won for the 66^th career time. Cash Me Out paid $7.80 to win and led an exacta and triple that came back $99.50 and $376, respectively. The win for the classy trotter in the $15,000 Open was his seventh at the Spa this season to lead all highsteppers. Kyle Spagnola trains the local superstar whose next start will be the 250^th of his illustrious career. The score in the feature was one of two on the card for Spagnola whose Ledges (Brett Crawford) was a repeat winner on Monday. Phil Fluet whose win with Cash Me Out was one of the reinsman’s three on the card. Fluet guided his trainees Askmenoquestions and Screamer to scores. Both of those trotters are owned by Michael Woodward of Oakfield, NY.

Live racing continues on Tuesday afternoon at Saratoga. There will be a carryover of $3,638 in the Pick Five pool on Tuesday. The Pick Five is a 50 cent wager and begins in the matinee’s first race at noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino

Lazzaro (Explosive Matter) has had his breakout season in 2021 at Saratoga Casino Hotel and on Monday the five year old trotter won the Open for the first time in his career. The Monica Krist-trained Lazzaro put together an impressive win streak early on in the campaign before moving up into Open company at the Spa. The trotter, who is owned by Rick Dobson of Howell, MI, went through a brief funk at the beginning of the summer but righted the ship with a career-best score at Tioga Downs in July when he won in 1:55.4 over the 5/8 mile track in the Southern Tier of New York. Upon winning in his return to the Spa the following week, Lazzaro wound up back in the Open and finished third against the top trotters on August 2^nd. After making a break in last week’s installment of the Open, Lazzaro went off at odds of 7-2 on Monday afternoon when he wound up getting a first-over trip with Billy Dobson in the sulky. The five year old spent about 5/8 of the mile on the outside before finally putting away Bridge Works (Jimmy Devaux) who had won the last two Opens at the Spa. Millionaire trotter Cash Me Out (Phil Fluet) sat the pocket to Bridge Works before getting by him in the stretch to finish second to Lazzaro who stopped the timer in a career-best 1:55.4. The win in the $14,000 feature was the first in the Open Trot in the career of Lazzaro whose victory was his eleventh on the season. Paying $9.00 to win, Lazzaro led an exacta with Cash Me Out second that returned $31.60. The triple, completed by Bridge Works, paid $95.00.

Live racing continues on Tuesday afternoon with a matinee beginning at Noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino

Bridge Works (Dejambro) became the fourth horse to go back to back in the Open Trot this season at Saratoga Casino Hotel when the Brett Derue trainee cruised to a wire-to-wire win on Monday afternoon. Acquired by Derue just two weeks ago, Bridge Works prevailed in his debut for new connections last week (Aug 2) when he pulled off a mild upset winning in 1:56.2 after a first-over journey. On Monday, Bridge Works wasted little time as his race’s 4-5 betting favorite as reinsman Wally Hennessey powered the five year old out to the early lead in the $14,000 feature. After coasting through a comfortable first half in 57.4, Bridge Works didn’t face much of a challenge in the final lap as he cruised to a nearly three-length victory in a career-best 1:55.1. Gettin Messi (Chris Long) was the runner-up to Bridge Works for the second consecutive Monday afternoon to complete a $20 exacta while longshot Bucketlist Hanover (Larry Stalbaum) finished third in a triple that paid $191. Bridge Works, who is owned by Picarazzi, Bullard, Petillo and his trainer Brett Derue, won for the sixth time of the season and has now piled up over $60,000 in earnings in 2021. The rising star adds his name to the list that consists of Gruden, Cash Me Out and Exarch as trotters to win the Open on at least two consecutive occasions. It was just another day at the office on Monday for Hennessey as the Hall of Fame driver piloted three winners on the card.

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

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino

Trainer Brett Derue has had another terrific season this year at Saratoga Casino Hotel and the top-flight conditioner enjoyed another big day on Monday afternoon. Derue is part of the ownership group who acquired trotter Bridge Works (Dejarmbro) this week and debuted him in the Open Trot on Monday. Wally Hennessey piloted Bridge Works who was tasked with facing the combo of Exarch and Cash Me Out who between them had won six of the previous seven installments of the Open Trot. With Cash Me Out setting soft fractions on the engine, Bridge Works powered up first-over and cruised past the millionaire trotter highlighted by a third quarter in which he trotted 27.4. The five year old opened up a sizeable lead turning for home and despite having rivals Gettin Messi (Chris Long) and Lazzaro (Billy Dobson) closing in on him in the stretch held on to win the $14,000 feature in 1:56.2. Bridge Works paid $9.50 to win in the mild upset and led an exacta with Gettin Messi second that came back $207. The triple with Lazzaro third returned $2,022. Bridge Works was one of two winners on the day for the ownership team of Picarazzi, Petillo, Bullard and Derue, all of NY, whose Meadowbrook Nate prevailed in his Saratoga debut in the afternoon’s opener with leading driver Jimmy Devaux in the sulky.

Live racing continues on Tuesday afternoon at Saratoga with a matinee kicking off at noon.

Mike Sardella

Cash Me Out (Cash Hall) did what he pretty much always does when on Monday afternoon the veteran trotter won another Open. The ten year old Kyle Spagnola trainee cruised to the front end in the $20,000 Open Trot and, though he worked hard to get to the top in 27.1, enjoyed a nice breather in the middle half. With the likely favorite Reign Of Honor being scratched from the race, Cash Me Out wound up as the 2-5 betting favorite on Monday and when his major danger Exarch (Jimmy Devaux) made a break after the start, it looked like it would be smooth sailing for the millionaire high-stepper. Cash Me Out coasted through a first half in 57.3 before reaching three quarters in 1:26.3 and didn’t face much of a challenge at any point in the mile. Exarch rallied extremely well in the final half and closed to be second to the favorite while longshot Bucketlist Hanover (Larry Stalbaum) earned the show spot. Cash Me Out, who stopped the timer in 1:56.1, won for the eighth time of the season and the sixth in the local feature for trotters. Cash Me Out led an exacta and triple that paid $6.90 and $46, respectively. The star trotter won for the 65^th time in his illustrious career for owner Mike Traylor of Ballston Spa, NY.

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

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino

Exarch (Cantab Hall) has become a force in the Open Trot at Saratoga Casino Hotel in recent months and on Tuesday afternoon, the six year old won the $14,000 feature for the third time. Jimmy Devaux pilots the John Gerow-trained trotter who went coast-to-coast in 1:56.2. After working hard to get to the top in a 27.3 first quarter, Exarch got a big-time breather in the middle half and reached three-quarters in 1:27.2. Pocket-sitter Gigfy (Alek Chartrand) rode the coattails of the winner before coming up second best while Cash Me Out (Phil Fluet), who won the previous two weeks’ Opens, finished third. Exarch, who is owned by Fortune Valley Stables of Ballston Spa, NY, now has six wins this season and has hit the board fourteen of eighteen starts in 2021. The winner was the even-money favorite in the feature and led an exacta and triple that paid $17.40 and $38.60, respectively. Devaux piloted a pair of winners on Tuesday to add to his track-leading tally for the ’21 campaign.

Live racing continues on Wednesday afternoon at Saratoga with a fifteen race matinee that starts at Noon. New York Sire Stakes action will be featured as three year old colt and gelding pacers will take center stage.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Cheyanne Mandy