Veteran reinsmen Wally Hennessey and Claude Huckabone Jr. each scored a pair of victories among the eight New York County Fair Circuit Finals that took place on Friday night at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Hennessey piloted the winners of the $15,000 divisions for two year old trotting colts and three year old pacing colts. Freshman Promises Met (Met’s Hall) made his debut out of the stable of the meet’s leading trainer Brett Derue who purchased the two year old along with Steve Picarazzi leading up to Friday’s Final. Promises Met completed Hennessey’s double when he went coast-to-coast in 2:04.2 following up Wally’s score behind Universe Blue Chip (Roll With Joe) in the evening’s opener for trainer James Rothfuss.

Claude Huckabone Jr. experienced both ends of the spectrum on Friday as the veteran horseman guided his Crazy Fool (Crazy Wow) to victory at odds of 1-9 in the three year old trotting colt and gelding Final before sitting behind Primetime Jay (Roll With Joe) who prevailed in the Final for three year old pacing fillies while dismissed at odds of 68-1. Huckabone Jr. co-owns Primetime Jay with trainer Victoria LaBelle.

The other $15,000 Fair Finals were won by Angel Express (Conway Hall) in the three year old filly trot division, Koup Kruiser (So Surreal) in the two year old colt and gelding pace, Kim’s Choice (Courtly Choice) in the two year old filly pace and Ms Titan (E L Titan) in the two year old filly trot.

Live racing continues on Saturday evening at Saratoga with a thirteen-race card set to get underway at 6:45pm.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Jessica Hallett

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

Pickup Man Hanover (Huntsville) got another chance from post position two in the Open Pace on Saturday night. The Jaymes McAssey trainee made a wire-to-wire attempt in last weekend’s installment of the Open but came up second-best although he paced his mile in a sizzling 1:51.4. Tracked down last week, Pickup Man Hanover would not be denied on Saturday evening as Hall of Fame reinsman Wally Hennessey moved the four year old out to the early lead in a fast 27.1 opening quarter. The Pickup Man kept rolling on the engine rattling off a half in 56.1 before checking in at three quarters in 1:23.4. This week, Pickup Man Hanover proved much the best as the talented McAssey trainee powered away from the competition late to win in 1:52.2 and register his first career victory in the Open Pace. Longshot Century Endeavor (Brett Beckwith) sat the pocket to the feature winner and held on to be second while dismissed at odds of 14-1 while Belmont Major N (Jimmy Devaux) came on to finish third. Pickup Man Hanover paid $9.20 to win in what wound up being a two and a quarter length score as he led an exacta and triple that returned $61 and $180, respectively. It was win number four on the season for Pickup Man Hanover who is owned by Dennis and Simone Noud of Saratoga Springs. McAssey completed a training double later in the evening when his American Artist K (Shawn Gray) recorded his second consecutive victory while competing in a race for claiming pacers.

Live racing continues on Sunday evening with a 6:45pm first post.

Cecil Hanover Headlines $171,000 NYSS

A $171,000 New York Sire Stakes race for three year old colt and gelding trotters was the feature on a Saturday night at Saratoga Casino Hotel that saw a big crowd on hand to watch the highly anticipated match race between driver Brett Beckwith and thoroughbred jockey Flavien Prat.

The stakes race for sophomores went the way of Cecil Hanover, a three year old son of Chapter Seven by the Muscle Massive mare Columbia. Cecil Hanover came to town off a resounding victory in a Sire Stakes race at Yonkers that saw him prevail by four and a half lengths with his trainer Ake Svanstedt in the sulky. On Saturday, Svanstedt gave the lines to Hall of Fame reinsman Wally Hennessey who sat behind Cecil Hanover for the first time and powered him out to an early lead in a sizzling first quarter of 27.1.

After yielding to a rival in the early going, Cecil Hanover wound up shaking free at three quarters before overwhelming the competition late in the game en route to a five and a quarter length victory in a time of 1:54.3. The win was the fourth in seven tries this season for the three year old gelding who is owned in partnership by S R F Stb& Midnight Sun Prtns, Jorgen Sparredal and his trainer Ake Svanstedt. Cecil Hanover paid $4.30 to win as the favorite. Spending Crazy (Luke Hanners) finished second while Some Kinda Crazy (Jimmy Devaux) earned the show spot.

The charity match race was contested after the evening’s sixth race on the card and saw Brett Beckwith, who currently sits second in the driver standings at Saratoga this season, get the better of top thoroughbred jockey Flavien Prat. Both reinsmen piloted three year old trotting fillies in an event that has been highly touted all summer long. Beckwith’s Cross Creek Samara got the better of Prat’s Foxe Ella who led for roughly a half mile before seeing her rival cruise by before drawing away to prevail decisively.

Beckwith was driving for the Franklin Community Center while Prat drove for BCCA Faith’s House of Saratoga. All together the event raised roughly $10,000 for the charities and brought an excited buzz to the track which came from the big crowd who made it out to support the event which elicited a lot of crossover support from the thoroughbred side of the sport.

Live racing continues on Sunday evening at Saratoga with a first post time set for 6:45pm.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Jessica Hallett

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

With no Open Pace on the Saturday evening card at Saratoga Casino Hotel, the $14,500 Winners Over was the feature. The race featured an open draw and no clear-cut favorite. Isaac, a five year old son of American Ideal, drew the rail for his return from Plainridge Park where he scored an impressive victory in 1:51.3 on August 3^rd. On Saturday, driver Shawn Gray was aggressive with Isaac and after relinquishing the lead in the early going wasted little time in retaking the top spot in a first quarter that went in 27 seconds.

After rattling off a half in 55.1, Isaac was tested throughout the second lap before prevailing by a length. The fourth win of the season for Isaac came in 1:53 for the Alicia Gray trainee. Longshot Six Degrees (Jimmy Devaux) came from the back of the pack to finish second and complete a $70 exacta while Black Hawk Joe A (Matt Athearn) closed to be third for the second consecutive week. Isaac, who paid $6.40 to win, is owned by Amy Cable of Vernon Center, NY.

The Grays secured a double on Saturday when their Battlefield (Sweet Lou) prevailed for the second straight week in a $9,500 event for young pacers. The three year old Battlefield was heavily backed at odds of 1-9 in his 1:55.1 victory which was his fifth in six local starts. Battlefield is owned by Doug Overhiser of New Smyrna Beach, FL.

Live racing continues on Sunday evening at Saratoga with a first post time of 6:45pm.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Jessica Hallett

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

Talking Tom (Artspeak) won the Open Pace at Saratoga Casino Hotel for the first time in September of last year. The Perry Simser trainee has returned to the Open this summer and enjoyed some success. Highlighted by a second-place finish while competing against the track’s top pacers, Talking Tom hit the board a handful of times this summer before heading into Saturday evening’s try in the $18,200 featured race.

Driver Chris Long asked Talking Tom for early speed and got him to the front in a 27.1 first quarter. The six year old got a bit of a breather but reached the half in an honest 56.4 before being confronted by last week’s Open runner-up Soul Assassin (Mitch Cushing) who came first-over on the Simser trainee. Those two squared off for close to a half mile before Talking Tom put that rival away and held strong to score in 1:53.1. The second Open win in the career of the Perry Simser trainee came while dismissed at odds of 5-1. Soul Assassin came up second-best for the second consecutive week while Black Hawk Joe A (Matt Athearn) earned the show spot.

Talking Tom, who is co-owned by his trainer Perry Simser along with Dennis Nye, paid $12.80 to win and led an exacta and triple that returned $42.80 and $215.50, respectively. The win time of 1:53.1 set a new seasonal mark for Talking Tom and was just a tick off his lifetime best win time of 1:53.

Live racing continues on Sunday evening at Saratoga with a thirteen race program set to begin at 6:45pm.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Jessica Hallett

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

The 14^th annual Joe Gerrity Jr. Memorial Pace at Saratoga Casino Hotel featured two former winners of the season’s biggest race at the Spa. Tattoo Artist and This Is The Plan won the two previous two installments of the Gerrity and drew into much different spots in this year’s $250,000 pace. The Chris Ryder-trained Tattoo Artist, the 2022 Gerrity winner, drew post three as he looked to repeat against the top-flight competition. This Is The Plan drew post seven and subsequently went off as one of the bigger longshots in the race. Tattoo Artist wound up heavily backed by the betting public going off at odds of 2-5 in what wound up being a wire-to-wire attempt. Jason Bartlett sat behind Tattoo Artist as he paced through first half fractions of 27 and 55.3 before asking the favorite to kick away around the final turn. All the while, longshot Idealsomemagic A, a nine year old son of American Ideal, followed the cover of a fellow Yonkers invader and although the trip got the best of his cover, Idealsomemagic A continued to progress steadily as the field came to the top of the stretch.

Tattoo Artist briefly scampered away from pocket-sitter Hellabablou (Joe Bongiorno) late in the game but just when it appeared that the favorite was about to pull off the repeat, Idealsomemagic A shifted gears and powered up and past the leader to prevail by three-quarters of a length. Idealsomemagic A, who is owned by Vip Internet Stable LLC and Stratton Stable Inc and trained by Cory Stratton, became the biggest longshot to prevail in the fourteen years of the Gerrity, scoring at odds of 27-1. The veteran pacer picked a good time to post a career-best effort as he stopped the timer in 1:50 to set a new lifetime mark behind perfect George Brennan piloting. With the win, Brennan and Stratton, incredibly, become the fourteenth different driver and trainer, respectively, to record victories in Gerrity history. Tattoo Artist finished second on Saturday while Hellabalou earned the show spot. The exacta and triple with the 27-1 shot on top returned $159 and $489.50, respectively.

Live racing continues on Sunday evening at Saratoga with a first post time of 6:45pm.      

Mike Sardella

Photo: Jessica Hallett

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

Uncle Jord A (Rock N Roll Heaven) has been a solid force in the Open Pace at Saratoga Casino Hotel all year long. On Saturday evening, the Alicia Gray-trained pacer drew post five in the seven horse feature. Driver Shawn Gray asked the veteran for early speed and landed briefly on the lead before yielding to rival St Lads Sterling (Jay Randall) approaching the opening quarter.

Uncle Jord A rode the coattails of the leader through a first half of 55.4 and that tandem was joined by Talking Tom (Chris Long) in the stretch for a three-horse battle to the wire. Uncle Jord A began to impose his will midway through the lane as he overpowered St Lads Sterling late in the game before drawing off to win decisively in 1:52.2. Talking Tom closed sharply to finish second while St Lads Sterling had to settle for third in the $17,000 feature. Uncle Jord A paid $13.80 to win in the mild upset and led an exacta and triple that came back $72.50 and $213.50, respectively.

The victory in the Open was the third on the season for the eight year old Uncle Jord A who is owned by Doug Overhiser of New Smyrna Beach, FL. A picture of consistency this season, he has now hit the board in nine of his twelve starts in the Saratoga Open in 2023.

Live racing continues at Saratoga on Sunday evening with a thirteen race card set to kick off at 6:45pm.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Jessica Hallett

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

New York Sire Stakes action highlighted a fifteen race card on Saturday night at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Three year old colt and gelding pacers were featured on a night that featured a pair of $80,000+ stakes races for sophomore New York breds. Huntinthelastdolar (Huntsville-Eighthunrdolrbill-Bettor’s Delight) came to town off a lifetime-best 1:49.2 score in NYSS competition at Vernon Downs.

On Saturday, Wally Hennessey piloted Huntinthelastdolar for trainer Gregg Mcnair and sat behind the sophomore as he paced a sizzling first quarter in 26.3 before getting a significant breather and reaching the half in 56.3.

Huntinthelastdolar cruised to victory in 1:52.2 to record his second win in as many weeks. The three year old colt, who is owned by Gregg Mcnair, George Kerr and Bradley Grant of Ontario, Canada, was his race’s co-favorite at odds of 6-5. I Was Tricked (Braxten Boyd) finished second while Goldin Greatness (Jason Bartlett) earned the show spot in the $82,500 stakes event.

The $84,000 NYSS race went the way of Duval Street (Huntsville-Native Bride-Allamerican Native) who won the biggest race of his young career on Saturday night. Jason Bartlett piloted the Ed Hart-trained three year old who sat the pocket to Blue Hunt (Wally Hennessey) until evacuating the two-hole at the three quarter pole.

Duval Street overpowered that rival before pacing away to score by two and quarter lengths in a mile clocked in 1:52.4. Blue Hunt, the 8-5 second choice in the wagering, finished second to the 3-2 favorite on Saturday while Taste Of Honey (Brett Beckwith) was third best.

It was in a $20,000 Excelsior Series race on Saturday in which the fastest mile of the 2023 season at the Spa was paced as Storm The Court (Huntsville) scored in 1:51.4 with Jason Bartlett driving for trainer Mark Silva.

Live racing continues on Sunday afternoon with a matinee that begins at noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Jessica Hallett

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

St Lads Sterling (Control The Moment) won his first Open Pace at Saratoga Casino Hotel on May 27^th of this year. The Jackie Greene-trained pacer pulled off the upset that evening while dismissed at odds of 23-1. The four year old was no factor in last week’s installment of the $17,000 Saturday feature at the Spa and this weekend he drew post eight for his assignment against the track’s top pacers.

Jay Randall pilots St Lads Sterling who usually does his best work when coming from off the pace. This week, Randall unleashed the Greene trainee in the early going and made the lead into the first turn. The longest shot on the board at odds of35-1, St Lads Sterling blazed a trail behind him in a first lap that went in 55 seconds before clicking off three quarters in an eye-popping 1:22.3.

The upset-minded leader showed no signs of letting up and in fact held strong in the stretch to score in 1:52.1 for his second Open Pace victory in his last three starts. Wyatt J (Luke Hanners) finished second while Talking Tom (Chris Long) earned the show spot. St Lads Sterling, who is owned by Janie Kellogg and the Jackie Greene Stables of Fort Ann, NY, paid $73.50 to win while pulling off the biggest upset in an Open thus far in 2023 at the Spa.

He led an exacta and triple that returned $439 and $4,009, respectively. St Lads Sterling’s win was his fifth in sixteen starts on the season. Randall and Greene didn’t stop there. They teamed up for a victory with Im No Outlaw N (Bettor’s Delight) in a $12,500 conditional race on Saturday evening.

The New Zealand invader also was all but ignored by the bettors, paying $39.40 to win and complete a double for Greene and a hat trick for Randall who piloted three winners on the card.

Live racing continues on Sunday afternoon with a matinee that begins at noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Jessica Hallett

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

Lanjo Lee (So Surreal) enjoyed a magical 2022 season in which he earned over $100,000 competing in large part in the New York Sire Stakes. Now at the age of four, the Jeff Sorenson-trained pacer is on the comeback trail following a lengthy layoff. Making just his second start of the year last Saturday (May 27), he went coast-to-coast in 1:52.2 at Saratoga Casino Hotel to prevail in an upper level conditional race. This week, Lanjo Lee moved into the Open Pace where he drew post five for his try in the $17,000 feature.

Chris Long piloted the four year old who was the public’s second-choice in the wagering while at odds of 2-1. The race’s favorite Belmont Major N (Jimmy Devaux) worked hard in the early going carving out first-half fractions of 26.4 and 56.1 before being confronted by Lanjo Lee who powered up alongside the leader. From there, it was on. Belmont Major N and Lanjo Lee traded strides for nearly an entire half mile before Lanjo Lee imposed his will in the stretch to stop the timer in 1:52.

The win time matched the fastest for any horse at Saratoga in the ’23 campaign. Belmont Major N wound up as the runner-up in the Open for the second consecutive week while Nuttin But Finesse (Leon Bailey) earned the show spot. Lanjo Lee, who is owned by Gordon Swift of Bath, NY, paid $6.50 to win and led an exacta and triple that returned $26.60 and $83, respectively.

Live racing continues on Sunday afternoon with a first post time of noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Jessica Hallett

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York