Tuesday marked the conclusion of the eighth annual Virginia O’Brien Memorial Pacing Series at Saratoga Casino Hotel. As often is the case in Series Finals, the tempo was hot at the start of the $38,800 feature for fillies and mares with several distaffers battling for the early lead. The fast first-half fractions of 27.2 and 55.4 took their toll on the race’s favorite Dance Ticket (Chris Long) who fought gamely while tested every step of the mile. All the while, the backfield got into motion and it was longshot Vibrance (Betting Line) who overcame a difficult journey to charge past her rivals late to secure the upset score. After finishing second in leg two, Vibrance made good as the public’s top choice in the wagering in the third leg of the O’Brien Memorial heading into Tuesday’s Final. Steve Rybka, who trains and drives Vibrance for co-owners Treffi, Bartlett and Garlick, tipped her to the far outside past three-quarters before seeing the sophomore filly fly home late en route to clocking a career-best win time of 1:54.2 while dismissed at odds of 10-1. Dance Ticket was a gutsy second in the Final while Got Beach Body (Luke Hanners), the longshot shot on the board at 41-1, earned the show spot. Rybka became the eighth different driver and eighth different trainer to score victories in the eight year history of the Virginia O’Brien Memorial. Vibrance paid $22 to win in the upset and led an exacta and triple that returned $86 and $666, respectively.

Live racing resumes on Saturday evening at Saratoga with a first post time of 5pm.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Jessica Hallett

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

It was a big day for driver Chris Long on Tuesday at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The veteran reinsman recorded three wins on the afternoon including a pair which came in the matinee’s biggest races. Racey Rach N (A Rocknroll Dance) scored in the Open for the first time at the Spa when she went coast-to-coast in Tuesday’s feature. Racey Rach N won an amazing eleven consecutive races upon coming to Saratoga before finishing second in her final two starts in the 2022 season. Following a three month layoff, the six year old returned to the track in February and quickly graduated up into Open company. Racey Rach N earned a couple of second-place finishes among her tries in the Fillies and Mares Open before drawing post five for her start in Tuesday’s $17,000 Open. Long powered the Lisa Zabielski-trained distaffer out to the front-end and despite being used hard in a first half that went in 55.4, the New Zealand invader had enough left to win it by a length in 1:55.1. Racey Rach N paid $5.80 to win as the race’s 9-5 betting favorite. Fond Memories A (Larry Stalbaum) sat the pocket and finished second in the feature while last week’s Open winner Always Watching (Jordan Derue) earned the show spot.

Long also recorded a victory in one of the two $12,500 divisions of leg one of the Virginia O’Brien Memorial Pacing Series when Dance Ticket went wire-to-wire. The four year old scored a decisive victory in 1:55 to register her third win in five seasonal tries for owner/trainer Robyn Mangiardi. Long completed his Tuesday hat trick when he piloted another Mangiardi trainee Deedee Didit (McArdle) to an upset score in a $9,500 conditional race.

Live racing resumes on Saturday evening with a 5pm first post.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Jessica Hallett

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

Always Watching (He’s Watching) was a three-time Open winner last season at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Jordan Derue owns, trains and drives the mare who was one of the top handful of Open mares in 2022. After hitting the board in two of her first five tries in the ladies’ feature this year, Always Watching dropped in company last Tuesday (4/18) to record her first victory in ’23. On Tuesday, it was back to the Open for the Derue trainee who wasted no time moving out to the front-end in the $17,000 feature.

Setting first-half fractions of 27.4 and 57 seconds, Always Watching was met with the challenge of a first-over favorite as Probert (Brett Beckwith) came after the leader. The Derue trainee held firm to prevail in 1:54.1 to record her first Open score of the campaign. The 8-5 second choice in the wagering, Always Watching bested Probert by a length and a quarter to lead a $12.40 exacta. So Amazing (Leon Bailey) finished third to complete a $77 trifecta.

Live racing resumes on Saturday evening at Saratoga with a first post time set for 5pm.  

Mike Sardella

Photo: Jessica Hallett

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

Maczaffair N (Mach Three) went coast-to-coast in the Tuesday feature at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The Chris Dubois trainee recorded her second win in the local Fillies and Mares Open this year when she drew away in the stretch from pocket-sitting rival So Amazing (Leon Bailey).

The ten year old Maczaffair N, an earner of over a half million dollars in her career, was pressured early on in a first half that went in 56.3 but powered away in the stretch to score by four and a half lengths in a mile clocked in 1:54.1. It was the fourth victory in seven starts in the 2023 season for the veteran distaffer.

So Amazing finished second at odds of 10-1 while Maczaffair N’s co-favorite Alittlesidehustl N (Jay Randall) came on to finish third. Maczaffair paid $6.20 to win and led an exacta and triple that came back $43.20 and $189, respectively. Jimmy Devaux piloted Macaffair N to the score in Tuesday’s $18,200 Open.

Live racing resumes on Saturday evening with a first post time set for 5pm.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Jessica Hallett

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

American Tour N (American Ideal) won the Step Up To The Plate Claiming Series for fillies and mares when on Tuesday she was a decisive wire-to-wire winner in the $32,200 Final. Jimmy Devaux piloted the Brett Derue-trained mare who scored victories in legs two and three of the series before being the 1-5 betting favorite in Tuesday’s Final.

Lookintomyeyes (Leon Bailey) sat the pocket to American Tour N for the second consecutive week and finished second in the Final while leg three winner Nora Tova (Phil Fluet) earned the show spot. American Tour N, who is owned in partnership by Steve Picarazzi and her trainer Brett Derue, led a $5 exacta and $23.80 triple. Derue won the Step Up To The Plate Trotting Series last week when his Mr Cool Seaeyre N went coast-to-coast in the Final.

Live racing resumes on Saturday evening at Saratoga and will feature a carryover of $10,269 in the early Pick Five. The Pick Five starts in the first race which is set to take place at 5pm.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Jessica Hallett

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

Tuesday afternoon’s program at Saratoga Casino Hotel consisted of three divisions of the Step Up To The Plate Claiming Series for fillies and mares. Early on, it wasn’t looking like a day for the favorites in the series as the public’s odds-on favorites were defeated in the first two divisions. The first $17,500 division of leg three saw Nora Tova (Western Terror) post the fastest win the day as the Phil Fluet-trained and driven five year old outclosed her rivals to score in 1:56.2. Paying $8.20 to win, Nora Tova got the best of two-leg series winner Ol Little Shift (Leon Bailey) who had to settle for second-best on Tuesday. Nora Tova likely punched her ticket to next week’s Series Final which is set to go for a purse of upwards of $30,000. The distaffer is owned by Joe Stanislowsky of Queensbury, NY.

Doyoukissfirstdate (American Ideal) sprung a mild upset on Tuesday aided by a break made by the race’s favorite. Jaymes McAssey trains the six year old Doyoukissfirstdate who got the early lead and never looked back before stopping the timer in 1:57.1. It was the second start for the mare out of the stable of McAssey who currently sits in the top three in the local trainer standings. Doyoukissfirstdate, who was driven to victory by Luke Hanners, paid $12 to win in the mild upset. The winner is owned by Lases Racing of Sheridan, MI.

A favorite finally prevailed in the final division of the day and prevailed decisively. American Tour N (American Ideal) came in off a victory in leg two of the series which saw her put the swoop to the group to score at odds of 4-1. On Tuesday, the Brett Derue trainee grabbed the early lead and made it look easy going coast-to-coast in 1:54.3 to record the fastest win of any division of the series in the three legs leading into next week’s Final. American Tour N, who is owned in partnership by Derue and Steve Picarazzi, was piloted to the Tuesday romp by Jimmy Devaux while the overwhelming betting choice at odds of 2-5.

Live racing resumes at Saratoga on Saturday evening with a first post time set for 5pm.

Photo: Jessica Hallett

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

Alittlesidehustl N (He’s Watching) has been a consistent factor in her time in the Fillies and Mares Open at Saratoga Casino Hotel. While the Jackie Greene trainee has hit the board numerous times while competing against the track’s top distaffers, the New Zealand invader hadn’t won the ladies’ feature. That was until Tuesday afternoon. In the latest installment of the $18,200 Open, Alittlesidehustl N drew post five in what wound up being an eight-horse feature following a scratch. Though a leisurely pace was being set by the favorite in the early going, the backfield got in motion past the half and Racey Rach N (Chris Long) began to close in first-over with Alittlesidehustl N not far behind. The tandem swallowed up the leader turning for home and when Alittlesidehustl N was fanned to the far outside by reinsman Jay Randall, she meant business. The five year old came charging hard around the final turn before storming home to score in 1:56.2 and add “Saratoga Open winner” to her resume. Racey Rach N hit the board for the third time in three Open tries when she was the runner-up on Tuesday while Always Watching (Jordan Derue) earned the show spot. Alittlesidehustl N paid $8.40 to win in her first local Open victory and led an exacta and triple that returned $24.80 and $161. The feature winner is owned by Kellogg Racing Stables and Jackie Green Stables of New York.

Live racing resumes on Saturday evening at Saratoga with a 5pm start to the program.

Photo: Jessica Hallett

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

Tuesday marked the start of the Step Up To The Plate Claiming Series for fillies and mares. The series, which was set to kick off last week before the race card was canceled due to a snow storm, featured three divisions of the first leg for distaffers. Much like the series’ for pacing colts and geldings and the one for trotters, the favorites did not thrive.

Longshot Broadway Role (Roll With Joe) picked up her first win of the season at the Step Up To The Plate Claiming Series when she outclosed her rivals to prevail in 1:56.4 while dismissed at odds of 9-1. Chris Long piloted the leg one winner for owner Leonard Sinisgalli and trainer Bob Leslie. Ol Little Shift (Western Vintage) continued her stable’s recent hot streak when she swooped the group to score in her $12,500 division of leg one of the series. Leon Bailey sat behind the Jesse McAssey-trained four year old who recorded her second consecutive victory on Tuesday stopping the timer in 1:57.4 for owner Adam Friedland while off at odds of 4-1.

The fastest leg one winner was Cenalta Call Girl (Allamerican Merlin) who completed a huge day for her connections. Conditioner Melissa Beckwith scored a training triple on the card when Cenalta Call Girl came from well off the pace to power past her rivals and secure leg one’s fastest victory in a time of 1:56.1.

Brett Beckwith guided the nine year old to her Tuesday score giving the young reinsman four winners on the matinee program. Cenalta Call Girl is owned by Bret Pisarski. Leg two will take place next Tuesday (Mar28) in a series that will feature three legs leading up to a Final which will go for a purse of more than $30,000.

Live racing resumes on Saturday evening at Saratoga with first post time set for 5pm.

Photo: Jessica Hallett

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

New Zealand invader Wahs Fire Bug N (Mach Three) has finished first or second in each of her starts since coming to the U.S. late last year. Amanda Kelley trains the eight year old mare who is establishing herself as one of the top mares at Saratoga Casino Hotel and on Tuesday, the talented distaffer recorded her first Open win. She left from post seven and made a pretty easy lead in the $18,200 Fillies and Mares Open but set quick fractions of 27.1 and 56.2 in lap one. The Kelley trainee expanded her lead to an insurmountable one heading towards the three quarter pole before cruising away to score in 1:55 by almost four lengths. Alittlesidehustl N (Jay Randall) closed well to be second in her seasonal debut while last week’s Open runner-up Demeter N (Matt Athearn) earned the show spot on Tuesday. Wahs Fire Bug N, the 1-2 public choice, led an exacta and triple that paid $45.60 and $405, respectively. The win in the feature was one of two on the day for Kelley who teamed up with Devaux for a victory with Nevada Rock who scored in her Spa debut. Devaux piloted five winners on the card in total. Wahs Fire Bug N is owned by the S&K Misfit Racing Stable of Greenfield Center, NY.

Live racing resumes on Saturday evening with a first post time set for 5pm.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Jessica Hallett

Saratoga Casino Hotel | Saratoga Springs, New York

Chasethecloudsaway (Sunshine Beach) was a winning machine in 2021 scoring an impressive sixteen times over the course of the year. While most of the Chris Petrelli-trained mare’s victories took place at Monticello, the then four year old did thrive at Saratoga Casino Hotel as well. A four-time winner of the local Fillies and Mares Open in ‘21, Chasethecloudsaway made her seasonal debut on Tuesday afternoon with just one winning qualifier under her belt. Luke Hanners was the regular driver for the talented distaffer late last year and sat behind her for Tuesday’s try in the $15,000 feature. Hanners flashed some early speed with the race’s 8-5 betting favorite but had to settle for fourth in the early going as Somebeachsomefra (Jimmy Devaux) set honest fractions on the front end. Chasethecloudsaway made her move just past the half and marched up first-over before grinding the leader into submission in the stretch and prevailing by three quarters of a length in a mile clocked in 1:56.1. Somebeachsomefra finished second while Miss Irish Rose A (Larry Stalbaum), the runner-up in last week’s ladies’ Open, had to settle for third on Tuesday. Chasethecloudsaway paid $5.50 to win and led an exacta and triple that returned $19.60 and $83.50, respectively. The trip to the winner’s circle in the feature was one of three consecutive on the card for young reinsman Luke Hanners who scored a natural hat trick on the matinee card.

Live racing resumes on Saturday evening with a 13 race card set to begin at 5:00pm.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser