Out of town trainer Rob Harmon only brings a handful of horses to Saratoga Casino Hotel to compete. Usually when he does, it is Open participants that come to town for the veteran conditioner. On Tuesday, Harmon’s Macheasy A (Mach Three) made his Spa debut and drew post four in the $11,000 Open for pacers. Jay Randall catch-drove Macheasy A who went off at odds of 4-1 in his local debut. The invader got a pocket trip behind last week’s Open winner Artful Way (Billy Dobson) and rode that one’s coattails in a first half paced in 56.3. Artful Way worked hard in the early stages of the feature but did get to back things down a bit in the middle half before being met with the challenge of Macheasy A around the final turn. When Randall asked Macheasy A for his best, the eight year old pacer made it look easy and powered past the leader to assume command and draw off before recording his first Spa victory in a mile clocked in 1:53.1. Macheasy A paid $10.80 to win and led an exacta with Artful Way second that came back $34.60. Lord Willoughby A (Larry Stalbaum) finished third and rounded out a $153 triple. Macheasy A, who is owned by the Harmon Racing Stable of Milford, PA is the second Open winner of the young season at the Spa for trainer Rob Harmon whose Robyn Camden prevailed during opening week of the 2021 campaign in the Fillies and Mares Open. Trainer Gary Levine’s stable starred on Tuesday afternoon as well as the meet’s leading conditioner added three wins to his tally.

Live racing continues on Wednesday at Saratoga with a matinee kicking off at Noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino

There has been no horse that has enjoyed as much success at Saratoga Casino Hotel in the last five years as Artful Way. The Jackie Greene-trained pacer piled up awards last decade for Pacer of the Year and Horse of the Year while the dominant force in the local Open Pace. Owned by the Kellogg Racing Stables of Queensbury, NY, Artful Way (Artistic Fella) was lightly raced last season after suffering an injury but scored a couple of victories while competing throughout the wintertime at Yonkers Raceway.  On Tuesday afternoon, Artful Way was back in town and back into the Open Pace where he drew post three in the six-horse feature. Billy Dobson piloted the nine year old stalwart who was dismissed at odds of 9-1. Dobson sat back patiently in a first half that went in a fast 55.3. The favored Some Waratah A (Greg Merton) came first over approaching the three-quarter pole before powering past the leader in three quarters of 1:24. All the while, Artful Way took up the chase and followed the move of the favorite before gunning him down in the final strides to secure his first Open win of the year in his first try in the $12,000 feature. Paying $21.20 to win is something that would have never happened in previous seasons for Artful Way who led an exacta with Some Waratah A second that returned $59. Invader Kerford Road A (Jay Randall) closed to finish third and rounded out a $261.50 triple. For Artful Way, it was win number 61 in 163 career starts for the Greene stable star. Dobson became the sixth different driver to win an Open in the six installments of features in the young season at the Spa.

Live racing continues on Wednesday at Saratoga with first post time set for Noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Cheyanne Mandy

Crockets Cullen N (Christian Cullen) was the 2019 Pacer of the Year at Saratoga Casino Hotel and would have likely taken home those same honors had there been awards given out last year. The now ten year old standout, who is owned, trained and driven by Larry Stalbaum, was the runner-up in his first two local Open Pace starts this season. On Tuesday afternoon, with no Open on the docket, the feature was a $8,500 pacing event in which Crockets Cullen N went off as the 3-5 betting favorite. Stalbaum moved his stable star out to the early lead and just rolled him. The veteran pacer went to the quarter in 27.2 before traveling unopposed to the half in 55.2. At that point, Crockets Cullen N shifted gears yet again and powered away from his rivals before checking in at three-quarters in 1:22.4. The favorite made good in the feature, stopping the timer in 1:52.2 for the fastest mile of the young season at the Spa. Sports Obsession (Jimmy Devaux) came into the race on a three-race win streak and again was terrific, finishing second to the favorite to complete a $7.10 exacta. Wyatt J (Mark Beckwith), who like Crockets Cullen N dropped out of the Open, closed to finish third and rounded out a $56 triple. The winningest horse in the Saratoga Open Pace in the past two seasons recorded his first local victory of the campaign on Tuesday which was his second win overall in 2021 as he cruised to front-running score at Yonkers in January.

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

Mike Sardella

Photo: Cheyanne Mandy

Some Waratah A (Somebeachsomewhere) put up the fastest mile of the young racing season at Saratoga Casino Hotel when on Tuesday, he went coast-to-coast to prevail in his local debut. Greg Merton piloted the Amanda Kelley trainee and moved the 4-5 betting favorite to the top in the $12,000 featured Open Pace. Some Waratah A came from Australia this winter and debuted for the Scheigert Racing Stable, of Saratoga Springs, at Yonkers in February. He rattled off back-to-back jacks downstate including a win in the Open Pace. In Tuesday’s feature, the seven year old set fast fractions throughout but looked every bit the part before stopping the timer in 1:53, the fastest time of the young meet at the Spa. Some Waratah A was briefly met with the challenge of last week’s Open winner Walkinshaw N (Jimmy Devaux) before turning that one away in mid-stretch. Pocket sitter Crockets Cullen N (Larry Stalbaum) wound up finishing second while Walkinshaw N held third. Some Waratah N, who paid $3.90 to win in his local debut, was one of two winners on the card for Merton, Kelley and the Scheigert Racing Stable who teamed up for a victory in a $6,150 pacing event with Nagle (Dali).

Live racing resumes on Wednesday afternoon at Saratoga with a matinee that kicks off at Noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino

Walkinshaw N (Mach Three) came to Saratoga Casino Hotel on Tuesday off of an impressive victory at Yonkers Raceway. The Lance Hudson-trained pacer owned three wins in five starts in 2021 when he arrived to take part in the first installment of the $11,000 Open Pace on the season at the Spa. Walkinshaw N was assigned post five in the five-horse feature but driver Jimmy Devaux didn’t waste any time moving the public’s 1-9 betting favorite out to the early lead. The nine year old veteran travelled unopposed through a first lap in 57 seconds while being tracked by pocket-sitting Crockets Cullen N (Larry Stalbaum). Those two rivals kicked away from the competition around the final turn before Crockets Cullen N’s chase of the favorite proved futile as Walkinshaw N cruised home to win in 1:53.2, the fastest time of the young racing season at the Spa. Crockets Cullen N was the runner-up to the favorite and completed a $9.20 exacta. Sgt Papa Daddy (Mark Beckwith) earned the show spot. Walkinshaw N is owned by William Hartt of Carmel, ME.

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

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino

Trainer Kyle Spagnola continued his strong start to the meet on Tuesday at Saratoga Casino Hotel as the top-flight conditioner scored a win in the featured pacing race on the card. Rollinwithambition (Roll With Joe) had a solid 2020 campaign in which he hit the board in 19 of his 24 starts and on Tuesday, the five year old gelding drew the rail in the $8,000 featured race. Jimmy Devaux sat behind Rollinwithambition who powered out from his inside post to secure the early lead and never looked back making his ’20 debut a winning one in 1:57.1 on a cold, windy day in the Spa City. Spagnola, who won a pair of races on Monday’s card, continued his strong start to the Saratoga racing season with the victory. Rollinwithambition paid $11.20 to win in the mild upset.

Last year’s top connections, driver Billy Dobson and trainer Gary Levine, teamed up for a pair of wins on the Tuesday card with Dobson guiding Levine-trained pacers Furious Beach and Hestherightstuff to victories. Dobson piloted four winners in total on Tuesday’s matinee. Last season’s leading driver and trainer will team up on Wednesday afternoon in the year’s first Open as Bontz N takes center stage to compete among the group of top distaffers in the $11,000 Fillies and Mares Open. First post time is set for 12 Noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino

After the conclusion of Tuesday’s card, only two weeks remain in the racing season at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Trainer Melissa Beckwith came into the day trailing Gary Levine by four wins in the battle for the training title. Seeking her ninth training championship at the Spa, Beckwith had two winners on Tuesday to close the gap slightly. Make A Statement A (Bettor’s Delight) moved to the Beckwith barn in late September and has gone on a tear. On Tuesday, the eight year old won for the fifth consecutive time, going coast-to-coast in 1:53.1 with Mark Beckwith in the sulky. Make A Statement A has utilized his terrific early speed throughout his hot streak but hasn’t been a one-trick pony. Always forwardly placed, the razor sharp pacer hasn’t always been on the engine in his victories but he was on Tuesday when he played catch me if you can. They couldn’t and the Beckwith trainee paced away to win by almost three lengths in his fastest time of the season. The Beckwiths teamed up later on the card for a win with Glenferrie Blade A (Mach Three) who never had an anxious moment going wire-to-wire to prevail for the second straight week. That pacing mare, who went over the quarter million dollar mark in career earnings with her win last week, is now two-for-two since joining the Beckwith stable. Her victory on Tuesday came in 1:56.2. Though Beckwith added two wins to her total on Tuesday, Levine also had a member of his stable prevail so the lead in the trainer standings for Levine stands at three with four race-cards remaining in the abbreviated 2020 campaign.

Live racing resumes on Monday afternoon with first post time set for Noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Cheyanne Mandy

Bontz N (American Ideal) has been the top pacing mare this season at Saratoga Casino Hotel. In a weird year that has only seen the Fillies and Mares contested sporadically, the Gary Levine trainee has been the track’s top distaffer. With five Open wins to her credit in 2020, Bontz N has more regularly been a third-place finisher in the feature for ladies in more recent tries. Dropping in company on Tuesday afternoon, Bontz N competed in the featured $5,300 conditioned race for the ladies. Leading driver Billy Dobson piloted the nine year old veteran and moved her out to the early lead. Just a few dollars shy of being the favorite, Bontz N carved out the fractions on the engine in a first lap went in 57 seconds. The 7-5 favorite Gina Grace N (Larry Stalbaum) rode the coattails of Bontz N throughout the mile before getting a clear chance at Bontz N in the stretch. The chase was futile as Bontz N recorded her sixth victory of the season, stopping the timer in 1:54.2 in her decisive score. Gina Grace N was the runner-up while Tipperary Hill (John Stark Jr) earned the show spot. Bontz N, who was one of the track’s top pacing mares while a nominee for Filly and Mare Pacer of the Year in 2019, has been the leading lady again in 2020 for Gary Levine and owner April Aldrich of Greenfield Center, NY.

Live racing resumes on Monday afternoon (Oct 12) with a first post time set for Noon. There will be a carryover of $5,257 in the Pick Five on Monday with that wager beginning in the matinee’s opener.