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

Sunday’s installment of the Open Pace was the final one for the 2021 racing season at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Closing week for the meet got underway on Sunday and the $15,000 feature saw Lake Charles (Well Said) score an Open victory for the third time at the Spa this year. Trainer Amanda Kelley will wrap up the ’21 season with more Open Pace wins than any other conditioner at the Spa as she secured her seventh victory in the Sunday feature. Her Some Waratah A won four Opens earlier in the meet and has passed the baton to Lake Charles this fall who has taken it and ran. On Sunday, Lake Charles had Leon Bailey at the controls and paced out to the lead in 27.4 in the early going. After reaching the half in an honest but manageable 57.3, the four year old pacer was put to the test by a first-over rival and those two went through a third quarter of 27.2 before Lake Charles rebuffed that one’s challenge. Pocket sitting Elite Retreat (Jimmy Devaux), who made his debut in the Open on Sunday, was no match for Lake Charles in the stretch but finished a strong second to the winner who paid $7.50 to win as the race’s second choice in the betting. Elite Retreat completed a $47.40 exacta while another longshot, Andreios Kardia (Larry Stalbaum), finished third and pumped the triple up to a hefty $262 in the six-horse feature. Lake Charles is owned by the Scheigert Racing Stable of Saratoga Springs. For Leon Bailey, it was his second Open win of the year at the Spa. His first Open Pace score came in November behind the John Podres-trained Repeal Or Replace who Bailey piloted to another score on Sunday in the $13,000 Winners Over for pacers.

Live racing continues on Monday afternoon with a matinee starting at 12 Noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Cheyanne Mandy

The Open Pace has been the most wide open among the featured races at Saratoga Casino Hotel this season. No horse has been a dominant force this year in the regular Sunday feature and this week another unique winner prevailed in the $15,000 Open. Hudson Phil (Shanghai Phil) was a regular winner in the Open Pace a few years ago at Saratoga but has spent much of his season competing out of town in 2021. Following a third-place finish in last week’s feature, Hudson Phil was the even money betting favorite in Sunday’s installment of the Open. The Jackie Greene trainee wound up first-over while in pursuit of front-running Andreios Kardia (Larry Stalbaum). Hudson Phil didn’t remain overland for long as he powered right up and past the leader approaching the three-quarter pole before drawing out to what turned out to be an insurmountable lead. The six year old pacer, who recently became a half millionaire, proved best on Sunday winning in 1:53.2 to boost his seasonal earnings to over the $100,000 mark. Macheasy A (Jay Randall), a four-time winner of the Open this year, was the runner-up to Hudson Phil on Sunday while Andreios Kardia (Larry Stalbaum) had to settle for third. Hudson Phil, who was piloted to victory by Billy Dobson, became the fifth different winner of the Open Pace in the last five installments. He is owned by the Kellogg Racing Stables of Queensbury, NY whose Moonshine Kisses is another four-time winner in the Open in the ’21 season at the Spa. Hudson Phil paid $4.10 to win and led an exacta and triple that returned $12.20 and $68, respectively.

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

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser

Sammy The Bull, trained by Gary Levine, and driver Billy Dobson won Sunday Afternoon’s “Charlie Hoffman Pace” final in 1:55.1.

There were two divisions of the second leg of the Charlie Hoffman Pacing Series contested on Sunday afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Sunday was the last chance for the pacers to earn points towards next Sunday’s Series Final. Each of the $10,000 divisions saw a repeat winner as both Northern Rein (American Ideal) and Steve’s Hot Rod (Voracious Hanover) recorded their second consecutive victory on the matinee card. The Kerin Warner-trained Northern Rein prevailed in leg one despite making an early break in his race. The six year old rallied and powered into the lead at the half before powering away for the decisive score. In Sunday’s second leg, Northern Rein had Leon Bailey at the controls when he left to sit the pocket. Bailey didn’t wait long to pop the pocket and the race’s big favorite proved up to the task. Northern Rein drew away from his rivals to record a four and a half length victory in 1:55.2 and perhaps stamp himself as the favorite for next week’s Series Final.

Steve’s Hot Rod stayed red hot on Sunday as the Andy Gardner trainee went coast-to-coast for the second straight week with Jay Randall at the controls. The seven year old pacer worked hard to get to the top but once he did, it was over. Steve’s Hot Rod became the second horse on the day to sweep the legs of the series leading up to next week’s Final. The 1-2 betting favorite’s win was his seventh of the season. The victory was one of two on the day for Randall who piloted the winner of the $15,000 Open Pace as Rob Harmon’s Macheasy A (Mach Three) swooped the group to record his fifth win in the local Open in 2021.

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

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser

The recent hot streak for reinsman Leon Bailey continued on Sunday afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel as the Vernon Downs leading driver scored his first ever victory in a local Open. Bailey picked up the catch-drive behind the John Podres-trained Repeal Or Replace (So Surreal) who drew post two in the $15,000 Open Pace. Dismissed at odds of 15-1, Repeal Or Replace sat third in the early going as fast fractions of 27.1 and 56.1 were posted in lap one. Bailey made his move with the four year old pacer approaching the three quarter pole and Repeal Or Replace powered past the leader before opening up a big lead of his own turning for home. By the time the favorite Artful Way (Billy Dobson) could shake loose and shift gears, it would be too late for the veteran pacer to track down Repeal Or Replace whose first Open Pace score came in 1:53.2. Artful Way came up second-best while Lake Charles (Chris Long) earned the show spot. Repeal Or Replace paid $32.20 to win in the upset score and led an exacta and triple in the feature that returned $138 and $467.50, respectively. For Bailey, the win was his first ever in a local Open and one of two on the day for the 35 year old reinsman who has been on a tear of late at the Spa. Repeal Or Replace is owned by Karma Racing Inc. of Parkland, FL.

Live racing continues on Monday afternoon with a Pick Five carryover of $2,661. The Pick Five begins in the first race which is scheduled for noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser

Warrawee Unique, trained by Jeff Sorenson, won today’s feature pace in 1:53.2. He was driven to the win by Leon Bailey, who also had three other winners on Sunday’s card.

Moonshine Kisses (Sunshine Beach) completed a big day for his connections as the five year old scored a victory in the Open Pace on Sunday afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Winning the Open for the third time in his last four attempts, Moonshine Kisses, who benefited from a scratch of last week’s Open winner Quagmire Bluechip, wound up cruising out to the early lead in the $15,000 feature. Clicking off first half fractions of 27 and 55.3, Moonshine Kisses never faced an anxious moment on Sunday, powering out to win decisively in 1:51.2 with Billy Dobson in the bike. His race’s 2-5 betting favorite, Moonshine Kisses bested Matticulous GB (Larry Stalbaum) to complete a chalky $5.50 exacta. The triple with Gunpowder N (Phil Fluet) third paid $21.60. The win was one of two on the day for the connections of Moonshine Kisses. Owners Kellogg Racing Stables, trainer Jackie Greene and driver Billy Dobson also teamed up for a victory early in the day with veteran Artful Way (Artistic Fella). One of the winningest horses in the history of the Open Pace at Saratoga, Artful Way prevailed in a $12,300 conditional pace on Sunday to move the nine year old’s seasonal earnings to over the $100,000 mark and bumping his career bankroll to over three quarters of a million dollars! For Moonshine Kisses, the win was his sixth in seventeen starts this season. Dobson piloted four winners on the Sunday matinee card.

Live racing continues on Monday afternoon with action kicking off at noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Cheyanne Mandy

Sunday’s card at Saratoga Casino Hotel had a bit of a “halftime show” as a Racing Under Saddle event was featured in the middle of the matinee program. Seven trotters took part in the $5,600 event which was named the “Race to End Breast Cancer” in conjunction with breast cancer awareness month. The racing under saddle or “RUS” is also known as Monte Racing and is wildly popular in Europe. Instead of racing with the sulky attached, horses in RUS have the riders on top similar to thoroughbred racing. The seven trotters who participated in the event split the purse equally but it was Winneress who prevailed with rider Stephanie Jacobs guiding the seven year old trotter to victory in a mile clocked in 2:04.3. Winneress flashed early speed but sat patiently behind leader Slated To Win (Maria Buchanan) throughout before making his move approaching three quarters. At that point, Winneress and Slated To Win traded strides until the former drew clear in the stretch to prevail. Winneress, who is owned by Anthony Verrusso of Whitesboro, NY and trained by Symon Spicer, was presented in the winner’s circle with a black and pink blanket in recognition of his victory in the “Race to End Breast Cancer”. Slated To Win was second while Armbro Hall (Cathy Gearwar) finished third in the non-betting event. Other participants, in order of finish, were Lugar (Vanessa Karlewicz), Pine Tab (Ashley Eldred), Railroad Lane (Sietske Dijkhof) and Summer Storm (Sophie Engerran).

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

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino

Moonshine Kisses and Billy Dobson crossed under the wire in 1:51.4 in Sunday afternoon’s open pace. Moonshine Kisses is trained by Jackie Greene.

Melissa Simser-Iovino