Cash Me Out (Cash Hall) has been winning Opens for years at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The ten year old trotter was at it again on Tuesday afternoon as the Kyle Spagnola trainee went coast-to-coast in the $14,000 Open Trot. Cash Me Out worked hard in the early going on Tuesday making the lead in a 27.1 first quarter. After reaching the half in 57 seconds, Cash Me Out traveled largely unopposed through three quarters that went in 1:26.2. A first-over Brady Bunch (Steve Genois) fought gamely but proved to be no match for the winner who stopped the timer in 1:55.2 to record his sixth win of the season. The final time set a new seasonal mark for Cash Me Out who moved his career earnings to over the $1.26 million mark. Brady Bunch toughed it out to be second while Exarch (Jimmy Devaux), who won the previous two installments of the Open Trot, closed to finish third. Cash Me Out was the 3-5 betting favorite on Tuesday and led an exacta and triple that paid $17.40 and $65.50, respectively. The victory vaulted Cash Me Out into the lead among local Open trotters this season as it was his fourth against the Spa’s top high-steppers. Phil Fluet piloted the Open winner for owner by Mike Traylor of Ballston Spa, NY.

Live racing continues on Wednesday at Saratoga with a first post time set for Noon. The Jackpot in the Pick Six sits at $4,076 while the Jackpot for the Super High Five is $6,926.

Mike Sardella
Photo: Cheyanne Mandy

Exarch (Cantab Hall) had a strong showing last Monday (June 7) when making his local debut in the Open Trot at Saratoga Casino Hotel. John Gerow trains the six year old gelding for the Fortune Valley Stable of Ballston Spa, NY and after finishing second in last week’s feature while dismissed at odds of 9-1, Exarch got a bit more board support this week when he drew post five for his second start in the local Open. Jimmy Devaux piloted Exarch who utilized his early speed to come away in the pocket behind the race’s favorite Gigfy. Exarch sat patiently as Gigfy cruised through three quarters in 1:26.2 before taking his shot turning for home when Devaux popped the pocket. Gigfy faltered late and Exarch surged by to prevail in 1:56.4 and record his first ever win in the Open Trot at Saratoga. Hot Wheelz (Chris Long), who was making his debut in the Open, closed sharply late in the mile and passed several rivals before finishing second. Gettin Messi (Wally Hennessey) came on to be third. Exarch paid $9.40 to win and led an exacta and triple that returned $111 and $405.50, respectively. The win was the fourth of the season for Exarch and the second since moving to the Gerow barn a little over a month ago.

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

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino

Reign Of Honor (Father Patrick) made his Open Trot debut on Monday afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The Tiffanee Staley trainee was beaten as a 1-5 betting favorite two weeks ago when he came up second-best while racing at the Spa for the first time. Last week (May 31), the five year old avenged that defeat with a decisive score in an $11,250 race for conditional trotters. This week it was up into the $14,000 Open for Reign Of Honor who was backed by the betting public to the tune of even money with Denis St. Pierre in the sulky. The favorite left a bit at the start but still had to come from off the pace in the Monday feature. With upset minded Exarch (Jimmy Devaux) on the engine setting fast fractions, Reign Of Honor followed second-over cover and tipped off that cover following three-quarters that went in 1:24.4 on a hot afternoon in upstate NY. Exarch held strong but didn’t have the power to turn away Reign Of Honor in the stretch as the favorite surged by before stopping the timer in 1:55, the fastest clocking of the season for a trotter at the Spa. Reign Of Honor now owns three wins in nine seasonal starts and has amassed over $470,000 in just 48 lifetime starts. Exarch was a strong second on Monday while dismissed at odds of 9-1 while Winning Legends (Justin Huckabone) earned the show spot. The exacta and triple in the Open paid $27.20 and $101.50, respectively. Reign Of Honor is owned by Randy Zane of Laval, QC, Canada.

Live racing continues on Tuesday afternoon at Saratoga with first post time set for Noon. There is a $4,288 carryover in the Pick Five pool for Tuesday. The Pick Five begins in race one on the matinee card.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Cheyanne Mandy

It was familiar ground for Cash Me Out (Cash Hall) on Monday afternoon when the veteran trotter made yet another trek back to the winner’s circle at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The ten year old high-stepper recorded his 62^nd career win in Monday’s $15,000 Open Trot as reinsman Phil Fluet put the Kyle Spagnola-trained trotter on the front-end in the Memorial Day feature and the millionaire cruised from there. Cash Me Out had to work hard in the early going before clicking off a first quarter of 27.1. After settling in on the engine, Cash Me Out went to the half in 57 seconds and held firm every step of the way before scoring in 1:56.3. The win was the fifth of the year for Cash Me Out and the third in the local Open Trot this season joining Gruden as the only three-time winners in the local trotting feature in 2021. With the earnings from his win, Cash Me Out moved his career bankroll to over $1.25 million for owner Mike Traylor of Ballston Spa, NY. Gigfy (Alek Chartrand) closed up the inside to finish second on Monday while longshot Navarone Hanover (Chris Long) earned the show spot. One of the race’s two even-money shots, Cash Me Out led an exacta and triple that paid $22.40 and $147, respectively.

Live racing continues at Saratoga on Tuesday afternoon with a first post time of Noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino

Last season, in the abbreviated 2020 campaign, no horse won the Open Trot in successive tries at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Though the Open didn’t have nearly the amount of installments as in most years, to not have any horse win back-to-back tries showed the “up for grabs” nature of the group of top-flight trotters at the Spa. This season, a dominant force has emerged and on Monday afternoon that force won for the third consecutive week in the trotting feature. Gruden (Muscles Yankee) was assigned post eight in the $14,000 Open and leading driver Billy Dobson took the star trotter back at the start. Aided by the break of two rivals, Gruden advanced to sixth in the early going and with fast fractions being set in the feature things were shaping up very well for the race’s 2-1 second-choice in the wagering. Gruden picked up the cover of Stone In Love (Brian Cross) who was the runner-up to Gruden in last week’s Open. That tandem surged past the weary leader around the final turn but in the stretch Gruden proved to be too much for his rivals. The eight year old trotter stopped the timer in 1:57.3 to record his third consecutive win in the Open Trot becoming the first trotter in almost two years to achieve that feat. Stone In Love continues to be the bridesmaid as she has finished second in five of her last six starts while racing very well for trainer-driver Brian Cross. Longshot Lifetime Credit (John Stark Jr) rounded out the triple. The exacta and triple in the feature paid $41 and $326, respectively. Gruden’s owner, trainer and driver teamed up for a double for the third straight Monday afternoon as Lazzaro completed the double for owner Rick Dobson of Michigan, trainer Monica Krist and reinsman Billy Dobson. Lazzaro has now won four consecutive races and has the look of a future Open trotter in his own right.

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

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino

The Monica Krist stable had two horses in on trotting day at Saratoga Casino Hotel on Monday afternoon. Gruden led the charge from her stable and was the public’s 8-5 betting favorite in the matinee’s $12,000 Open Trot. Gruden got the pocket trip behind Gigfy (Alek Chartrand), a razor-sharp trotter who was aggressive in the feature and did prove up to the task. Gigfy cut the mile but was hounded throughout, parking out a rival in a first half that was clocked in 56.2. All the while, Gruden was in behind the dueling leaders and when he got clearance after three quarters in 1:26, popped the pocket and cruised past Gigfy before drawing away in the stretch. Billy Dobson piloted Gruden to the better than four-length victory in the feature. Gruden paid $5.40 to win and led an exacta with Gigfy second that came back $26. Stone In Love (Brian Cross) made a break behind the gate but rallied late to finish third and complete a $69.50 triple. The win for Gruden was one of two on the day for his connections. Owner Rick Dobson, of Howell, MI, had a double as his Lazzaro (Explosive Matter) was a repeat winner earlier in the card in a $6,600 trotting event for Krist with leading driver Billy Dobson in the sulky.

Live racing continues on Tuesday afternoon at Saratoga with a first post time set for Noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino

Winning Opens is something Cash Me Out (Cash Hall) has pretty much always done. The Kyle Spagnola trainee won the Open Trot nine times in his 2019 Horse of the Year campaign at Saratoga Casino Hotel before adding another three local Opens to his tally in the ’20 season. It only made sense that in the first Open Trot contested this year that Cash Me Out prevailed on Monday afternoon. Phil Fluet piloted the veteran trotter who cruised to victory on opening day of the meet (March 1^st) when in a conditional race. In the season’s first installment of the $11,000 Open Trot on the season, Cash Me Out was the public’s 4-5 betting favorite while assigned post six in the six-horse feature. The post didn’t bother the millionaire trotter who marched out to the early lead and just cruised once he got there. When it was all said and done, Cash Me Out stopped the timer in 1:58.1 on a windy afternoon in Saratoga to record his first Open score of the year in what was his 60^th lifetime win. The local star is owned by Mike Traylor of Ballston Spa, NY. Longshot Yonkers invader Freddie Mac (Jay Randall) sat the pocket to the winner and finished second to complete a generous $68.00 exacta while Gruden (Billy Dobson) came up third-best to complete a $198.50 triple. The win was one of two on the day for Spagnola whose If Not Why Not (Muscle Mass) also made good as an odds-on favorite on Monday, cruising to a wire-to-wire win in a $6,450 trotting event with driver Brett Crawford at the controls.

Live racing continues on Tuesday afternoon at Saratoga with a first post time set for Noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino

Trainer Kyle Spagnola and driver Phil Fluet won the Open Trot together for the third consecutive Monday afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Though that feat is impressive enough, it is made all the more noteworthy due to the fact that the three Opens have been won by three different horses. Two weeks ago, Waiting On A Woman went coast to coast to win the trotting feature while Cash Me Out got the job done last week (Nov 9). On Monday, If Not Why Not (Muscle Mass) made his second career start in the local Open and drew post four for his try in the $10,000 co-feature. Fluet moved the Spagnola trainee out to the early lead and went unchallenged in a first half that went in 57.4. Pocket-sitting Gruden (Billy Dobson) got geared up to go around the final turn and gave If Not Why Not all he could handle in the stretch before coming up just shy in a mile clocked in 1:56.3. If Not Why Not paid $12.60 in the mild upset and led an exacta with Gruden second that returned $24.40. Longshot TT’s D-Jay was placed third after a disqualification and completed a $153.50 trifecta. If Not Why Not is owned by Mike Polansky of Loudonville, NY.

The pacing half of the co-featured races on Monday went the way of a track superstar. Artful Way was Saratoga’s first ever three-time Pacer of the Year when he earned the honors each season from 2016-2018 but the Jackie Greene-trained stalwart is still on the comeback trail following an injury sustained last season. With just a dozen starts to his credit over the last two years, Artful Way has been in the Open Pace every week for the last five and after a second and a third-place finish in his last two secured his first Open win of the season on Monday. Sitting the pocket to the 1-5 favorite Crockets Cullen N (Larry Stalbaum), Artful Way took his shot around the final turn and had enough to get the better of the defending Pacer of the Year before stopping the timer in 1:54.1 for his first Open victory in more than eighteen months. Crockets Cullen N was the runner-up while Blaise MM Hanover (Mark Beckwith) earned the show spot. Artful Way, who is owned by Kellogg Racing Stables, LLC of Queensbury, NY and was piloted by Billy Dobson, paid $8.90 to win on Monday.

Live racing continues on Tuesday afternoon with a Noon start to the card.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Cheyanne Mandy

Waiting On A Woman (Northern Bailey) overcame a bit of a tough start to win the Open Trot at Saratoga Casino Hotel for the second time in three weeks. The Kyle Spagnola trainee was his race’s even money favorite starting from post three in the seven-horse feature and driver Phil Fluet asked the twelve year old for some early speed. He and rival Mister Muscle (Shawn Gray), last week’s Open winner, squared off in a battle to the quarter which yielded a sizzling panel of 26.4. Mister Muscle made it to the top and got a half in 56.2 but wound up tiring a bit in the stretch as Waiting On A Woman closed up the inside. Longshot Mugshots Bro (Jay Randall) charged off his cover to become a stretch threat before ultimately coming up second-best to Waiting On A Woman who came on to score in 1:56.1. The veteran trotter went five years between Open wins before setting a track record for twelve year old trotters two weeks ago when he prevailed in 1:55.1 in the $8,500 Open. Mugshots Bro was the runner-up while Mister Muscle earned the show spot on Monday afternoon. The even-money favorite led an exacta and triple that returned $48.20 and $245, respectively. Waiting On A Woman, whose victory was the incredible 77^th of his career, is owned by Mike Polansky of Loudonville, NY.

Live racing continues on Tuesday afternoon with a matinee beginning at 12 Noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino

Mister Muscle won the Open Trot five times last season after coming to Saratoga Casino Hotel late in the summer. The Melissa Beckwith trainee opened up his 2020 campaign with a pair of Open victories prior to the quarantine shutdown. On Monday afternoon, making his second start back since the break, Mister Muscle (Muscle Mass) had Shawn Gray piloting as he got a pocket trip in the $8,500 trotting feature. Last week’s Open winner Waiting On A Woman (Phil Fluet) once again cut the mile this week and clicked off a first half in 57.1. Challenger Stone In Love (Brian Cross) charged up first-over past three quarters in 1:26.2 and served as a threat to Waiting On A Woman. All the while, Mister Muscle was waiting for open road in the passing lane. The six year old trotter surged up the rail and got by Waiting On A Woman before stopping the timer in 1:55.4 to record his third Open victory of the season. Waiting On A Woman came up second-best while Stone In Love earned the show spot. Mister Muscle paid $7.50 to win and led an exacta and triple that returned $57.50 and $305.50, respectively. The victory was one of two on the afternoon for the track’s defending leading trainer Melissa Beckwith and also served as one of three wins for Gray in the sulky on the Monday card.

Live racing continues on Tuesday afternoon with a matinee beginning at 12 Noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino