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

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

Surreal Feeling (So Surreal) has had an incredible 2021 campaign and on Tuesday afternoon, the six year old mare recorded her eighth Open win of the season at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The Dale Lawton-trained distaffer returned to the Spa in October and secured one win and three seconds in four tries in the $15,000 Fillies and Mares Open heading into Tuesday’s try. Alek Chartrand has been the regular driver for Surreal Feeling in her local starts and was at the helm behind the 2-5 betting favorite in the feature. After a fast first quarter paced in 27.1, the race’s leader backed down the half to the tune of 57.4. Surreal Feeling picked up cover and charged up second-over before tipping off the cover past the three quarter pole. As the favorite shifted gears, Chasethecloudsaway (Luke Hanners), the winner of the last two installments of the Fillies and Mares Open at the Spa, motored home around the final turn. Surreal Feeling would not be denied though and stopped the timer in 1:55 for her eleventh win of the season and eighth in the local feature. Chasethecloudsaway continued her streak of finishing first or second every week dating back to August when she ended up as the runner-up to Surreal Feeling while Birch Island Betty (Billy Dobson) earned the show spot for the third consecutive week in the Open. The exacta with the favorites running one-two paid $9.40 while the triple came back $56. Surreal Feeling, who is the clear favorite for Filly and Mare Pacer of the Year at Saratoga, is owned by Chris and Dale Lawton.

Live racing resumes on Sunday afternoon with a matinee starting at noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser

New Zealand invader Rckaroundtheclock N (A Rocknroll Dance) has been a winning machine in her first year racing in the USA and on Tuesday afternoon, the Amanda Kelley trainee added Open winner to her growing resume. The 2-5 betting favorite in the $16,000 Fillies and Mares Open despite starting from the second tier, Rckaroundtheclock N wasted little time in getting to the lead as driver Shawn Gray quarter-moved her in the backstretch. The five year old distaffer got to the quarter in 27.4 and clicked off a half in 56.4 before facing a challenge. Bontz N (Mike Simons), who got away third, took her shot past three quarters and the regular Open threat made the top one earn it before settling for second-best behind Rckaroundtheclock N who stopped the timer in 1:53.2 over a track labeled ‘good.’ Pocket-sitter All Speed Rising (Jimmy Devaux) earned the show spot in the $16,000 Open for the ladies. Rckaroundtheclock paid just $2.90 to win but the exacta and triple in the feature returned $48.20 and $360, respectively. The winner of a baker’s dozen in 2021 is owned by the Scheigert Racing Stable of Saratoga Springs, NY.

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

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino

Luck B Mine (Bettor’s Delight) recorded her first career win in an Open on Tuesday afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel as the John Podres trainee got dq’d into a victory in the $15,000 feature. Luck B Mine has been on top of her game over the last couple of months and stepped way up in company to compete in the Fillies and Mares Open with leading driver Jimmy Devaux in the sulky. The four year old distaffer came first-over before clearing the lead heading to three quarters. The favorite Bontz N (Wally Hennessey) got clear after being shuffled back and motored up on the outside. The even money favorite made a brief break and although she righted the ship before coming on to stop the timer in 1:54.3, she wound up being disqualified for causing interference while on a break. Luck B Mine who finished second was placed first to log her fourth victory in her last six starts. Miss Irish Rose A (Larry Stalbau) hit the line third but was elevated to second after the disqualification of Bontz N while Onspeed N (Alek Chartrand) was placed third. Luck B Mine paid $7.80 to win and led an exacta and triple that came back $98 and $799, respectively. The razor sharp mare is owned by Steve Guido of Cicero, NY and Don Stockwell of Hudson Falls, NY.

Live racing resumes on Sunday afternoon at Saratoga with a first post set for noon.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino

It is still to be determined whether or not there will be end of the season awards given out at Saratoga Casino Hotel this year due to the abbreviated season and the major reduction in Opens contested. If there are awards, you can pretty much lock up Filly and Mare Pacer of the Year for Bontz N (American Ideal). The Gary Levine trainee was dynamic earlier in the season, winning four consecutive installments of the Open for distaffers and on Tuesday afternoon (Oct 13), she added another to her tally. Bontz N came into the $9,350 Fillies and Mares Open off a victory but she had dropped in class to secure that win. Leading driver Billy Dobson was back in the bike on Tuesday as the nine year old mare cruised out to early lead in the feature. Clicking off a first quarter in 27.3 before going a half in 57 seconds over a sloppy track, Bontz N was met with her first challenge approaching three quarters. She rebuffed a first-over rival and held strong in the stretch before reporting home a three-quarters of a length winner in 1:55.1. The race’s 3-5 betting favorite, Bontz N recorded her sixth Open victory of the season besting Racine Bell (Jimmy Devaux) and Pasultimatedelite N (Jay Randall) who first second and third, respectively. The exacta and triple with the favorite on top paid $16.20 and $96. Levine holds a small lead in the trainer standings after a pair of Tuesday victories. Bontz N accounted for one of three wins for her connections as Levine and Dobson teamed up with owner of April Aldrich of Greenfield Center, NY for victories with pacers JK Heaven Sent (Rock N Roll Heaven) and Western Beachboy (Somebeachsomewhere). The latter sizzled through the slop winning in a dazzling 1:52.2 with Dobson in the bike. The meet’s leading driver piloted four winners on the card.

Live racing takes place every Monday and Tuesday afternoon with first post time set for Noon.