Prairie Rocknroll was the runner-up in back-to-back installments of the Open Pace at Saratoga Casino Hotel heading into Saturday’s try in the feature. The Kyle Spagnola-trained pacer was once again the betting favorite in the $18,000 this week and flashed early speed in the Open before yielding for a two-hole journey behind last week’s winner Humble A. Humble A cruised through a first quarter in 27.1 and a half in 56.2 while Prairie Rocknroll, the 6-5 favorite, rode the coattails of the leader. Billy Dobson popped the pocket with the Spagnola trainee approaching the three quarter pole and Prairie Rocknroll quickly surged by to take the lead. Longshot Imtheblackflash N (Chris Long) shook loose late in his debut in the Open to close sharply and finish second in the mile that was clocked in 1:52.2 while Mr Mclaren N (Larry Stalbaum) came on to be third. Prairie Rocknroll now owns three wins and a pair of seconds in his five starts in 2026. The Open winner is owned by Laurie Poulin of Barton, NY.

Live racing continues on Sunday and will feature a Pick Five carryover of $2,653 in the early Pick Five on the matinee card which starts in race one.

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett photo

Dustbin Spy (Chapter Seven) sprung the upset in the $16,100 feature on Tuesday afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Competing in a “Pop Up Final” for young trotters, Dustbin Spy was dismissed at odds of 16-1 despite finishing second in his seasonal debut last week. Claude Huckabone III drove the Dylan Huckabone-Miller trainee to the runner-up try in his first start of the 2026 campaign and once again sat behind the four year old who competed mostly in the Fair Circuit in his freshman season of ’25. The favorite broke just after the start of Tuesday’s Final which opened the door for an upset and Dustbin Spy recorded just that as he picked up cover following a first half that went in 59.3. Tracking the every move of rival Lucky Ellie (Wally Hennessey), who cleared past three quarters in 1:29.3, Dustbin Spy quickly took dead aim and reeled in that one around the final turn before powering away to score in 2:00.2. In the stretch, Dustbin Spy held off a late bid from Commisary Note (Chris Long) who ended up as a runner-up for the second consecutive week. Longshot Alwaysbemyania (Jacob Cutting) came on to finish third. The win was the first pari-mutuel victory in the young career of Dustbin Spy who paid $34.22 to win in the feature upset.

Live racing resumes on Saturday with a first post time of 12pm. There will be a Pick Four carryover of $1,714 in the early Pick Four that begins in race two on Saturday.

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett photo

Trainer Jaymes McAssey is seeking his first career training title at Saratoga Casino Hotel and on Tuesday afternoon, the meet’s leading conditioner added three wins to his bulky 2026 tally. McAssey started out the day strong when Many Moons Ago (Tall Dark Stranger) prevailed in his Spa debut. McAssey acquired the young pacer in recent weeks and had him in to go for the first time on Tuesday. Kyle Swift, who nurses a small lead in the driver standings in his first full year driving at Saratoga, piloted the trio of McAssey-trained winners guiding Many Moons Ago and three year old trotter Credito (Credit Winner) to front-running scores in their debuts under the guidance of McAssey. Fennel Hanover (Stay Hungry) came from well off the pace on Tuesday to record his second victory in four local starts and complete the hat trick for McAssey and Swift. McAssey came into the week’s action with a small lead over defending training champion Melissa Beckwith with nearly four months of the racing season complete. The 20 year old Swift has been more than impactful in the sulky at the Spa announcing his presence with authority and climbing to the top of the driver standings in ’26.

Live racing resumes on Saturday at Saratoga with a first post time set for 12pm.

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett photo

But Why recorded his fourth Open Trot victory of the season on Monday afternoon when the defending Horse of the Year at Saratoga Casino Hotel went coast-to-coast. Scott Mongeon trains the five year old But Why who has followed up his award-winning campaign with a strong 2026 season in which he has hit the board in all eight starts including his four Open scores. In Monday’s installment of the $18,000 Open, reinsman Jimmy Devaux moved But Why out to the early lead where he cruised unopposed through first-half fractions of 27.4 and 57.2. The even-money favorite looked strong every step of the way and opened up a bit past three quarters in 1:26.1 before putting the finishing touches on his fourth seasonal score stopping the timer in 1:55.1. Last week’s Open winner Ordained (Billy Dobson) closed well to be second while Platinum As (Aaron Byron) came on to finish third. But Why is owned by Steve and Laura Stewart.

Live racing continues on Tuesday with a matinee that starts at 12pm.

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett photo

A victory in the feature highlighted a huge afternoon on Saturday at Saratoga Casino Hotel for driver Wally Hennessey. The veteran Hennessey returned to town last month and wasted little time making an impact in the sulky. On Saturday, the Hall of Famer piled up five winners on the matinee card led by a score in the Open Pace behind the Jackie Greene-trained Frisco Bay N. Frisco Bay N (Downbytheseaside), a two-time Open winner early in the season at the Spa, marched out to the early lead in the $18,000 feature. Setting sizzling fractions of 26.4 and 55.4 in lap one, Frisco Bay N felt just mild pressure through three quarters of 1:24 while bracing for pocket-sitter Prairie Rocknroll (Billy Dobson) who followed the leader’s every move throughout. The even-money favorite in the feature, Prairie Rocknroll popped the pocket around the final turn and made a run at Frisco Bay N in the stretch before coming up second-best in a 1:52.1 mile. Longshot In Excess N (Larry Stalbaum) finished third. Frisco Bay N’s win was his fourth of the season and third in the local Open Pace. For Hennessey, the Open victory was one of five on the afternoon in what was the biggest day of the 2026 campaign for the 69-year-old seasoned veteran. Wally piloted three winners for trainer Brett Derue on Saturday.

Live racing continues on Sunday with a matinee set to begin at 12pm.

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett photo

Help Us Help You (Helpisontheway) has been a winning machine at Saratoga Casino Hotel of late and on Tuesday, the Dan Gill trainee scored his fifth victory in his last six starts. Help Us Help You won three in a row before stepping up in company for a week. Last Tuesday (May 5), the four-year-old moved back to the level of his wins and prevailed again with regular driver Leon Bailey in the bike. This week, Help Us Help You was one of three co-favorites at odds of 2-1 who competed in one of the $9,700 featured races on the card. Bailey flashed early speed in the feature with Help Us Help You who had thrived with a variety of trips over the course of his strong stretch. The gelding cruised unopposed through a first lap in 59.1 before being confronted by co-favorite Doubledownonour P (Justin Huckabone) who was making his seasonal debut. Those two squared off throughout the second half before Help Us Help You put him away around the final turn en route to stopping the timer in 1:59.1 and recording his fifth win in the last six starts. Doubledownonour P was a solid second in his first start of the year while Captainess Sawyer (Jimmy Devaux) earned the show spot. Help Us Help You’s final time of 1:59.1 matched the seasonal mark for the Gill-trained pacer who is in the midst of the hottest streak of his young career. The win was one of two on the card for Leon Bailey.

Live racing resumes at 12pm on Saturday afternoon.

Mike Sardella | Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica Hallett photo