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

Birch Island Betty (Big Jim) rode a mini win streak into the Tuesday feature at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The Eve Bergeron trainee was assigned the rail for her try in the $15,000 Fillies and Mares Open after rattling off back-to-back jacks in the conditional ranks. Brett Crawford picked up the catch-drive behind the six year old mare who secured a pair of Open victories last season at the Spa. Almost a year to the day of her first feature score, Birch Island Betty sat patiently in the early going on Tuesday and even got shuffled back a bit in the six-horse Open for distaffers. Rival Thats Incredible (Shawn Gray) surged first-over on the race’s favorite approaching three quarters and those two looked like they would decide it before the backfield got in motion around the final turn. Birch Island Betty, who surged in the stretch to record each of her successive victories that led up to Tuesday’s tilt, shook loose and flew home in the lane before coming on to win in 1:54.1. Thats Incredible finished second while Miss Irish Rose A (Larry Stalbaum) closed to be third. The winner is owned by Dany Grenier of Quebec, Canada. Paying $12.40 to win in the mild upset, Birch Island Betty led an exacta and triple that returned $74 and $296, respectively.

Live racing resumes on Sunday afternoon at Saratoga with a matinee beginning at Noon.

Mike Sardella
Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino

Trainer Andy Gardner had a big day on Tuesday afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The young trainer is the midst of a big season at the Spa and his growing stable had another strong afternoon on the Tuesday matinee. All Speed Rising (All Speed Hanover) was claimed by Gardner last month immediately paid dividends winning her debut out of her new barn. The six year old mare drew post two in Tuesday’s $11,000 featured races for distaffers. Billy Dobson piloted All Speed Rising who sat back a bit early in a first lap that saw a couple of lead changes. The top-flight reinsman made his move heading to three quarters and wound up getting the better of front-running Bontz N(Wally Hennessey) around the final turn. All Speed Rising forged to the front and wound up hanging on in the stretch to record her third victory of the season and her second since joining the Gardner stable, stopping the timer in a career-best 1:54.1. Longshot Onspeed N (Alek Chartrand) came from last and almost reeled the winner in under the shadow of the wire but came up second-best at odds of 39-1. Bontz N held third. All Speed Rising paid $16.40 to win on a day that saw several big upsets at the Spa. The exacta paid $251.50 while the triple came back $1,391. The up-and-coming trainer completed a training double when his Saylavie Bluechip (Art Major) broke her maiden in 1:57.4 with leading driver Jimmy Devaux in the sulky. Gardner had a pair of second-place finishes in addition to the two victories in what was a big day for the 38 year old conditioner.

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

Mike Sardella

Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino

A strong, well-balanced group of young trotters squared off against each other in a $9,500 conditional race on Tuesday afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The group of eight featured one horse riding a five-race win streak and another coming in while a winner of three straight. Neither of those two were the favorite and in fact, there was a 4-5 betting favorite in the race with a horse dropping out of Sire Stakes competition. KS Dream (Conway Hall) has been red hot since joining the stable of trainer Andy Gardner. The four year old was lightly raced in his first couple of seasons but here in 2021 has come into his own. On Tuesday, KS Dream drew post seven in the strong group of trotters but leading driver Jimmy Devaux wasted little time in blasting the razor sharp trotter out early. KS Dream made it to the lead but it took a blistering quarter of 27.1 to get to the top. Dismissed at odds of 12-1, KS Dream got a breather in the second quarter, getting to the half in 57.2. Though Tesla Seelster, who was riding the five-race win streak, made a break after the start, it was the favored Credit Con (Wally Hennessey) who tried to put a threat together in the final half. The effort proved futile and it was longshot Royal Soldier (Dan Cappello Jr) who emerged as the stretch threat for KS Dream before having his threat thwarted by the Gardner trainee who held strong to win for the fourth time in as many tries. The victory in 1:56.2 served as a new lifetime mark for KS Dream. Royal Soldier finished second at odds of 45-1 while the longest shot on the board Kasha’s Boy (Chris Long) came on to be third. KS Dream, who paid $26.80 to win, is now four-for-four in his brief time at Saratoga. The exacta and triple in the featured trotting race paid $642 and $4,638, respectively. KS Dream is owned by Karen Smith- Ashley of Brushton, NY.

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

Mike Sardella

Photo: Cheyanne Mandy

Exarch (Cantab Hall) has become a force in the Open Trot at Saratoga Casino Hotel in recent months and on Tuesday afternoon, the six year old won the $14,000 feature for the third time. Jimmy Devaux pilots the John Gerow-trained trotter who went coast-to-coast in 1:56.2. After working hard to get to the top in a 27.3 first quarter, Exarch got a big-time breather in the middle half and reached three-quarters in 1:27.2. Pocket-sitter Gigfy (Alek Chartrand) rode the coattails of the winner before coming up second best while Cash Me Out (Phil Fluet), who won the previous two weeks’ Opens, finished third. Exarch, who is owned by Fortune Valley Stables of Ballston Spa, NY, now has six wins this season and has hit the board fourteen of eighteen starts in 2021. The winner was the even-money favorite in the feature and led an exacta and triple that paid $17.40 and $38.60, respectively. Devaux piloted a pair of winners on Tuesday to add to his track-leading tally for the ’21 campaign.

Live racing continues on Wednesday afternoon at Saratoga with a fifteen race matinee that starts at Noon. New York Sire Stakes action will be featured as three year old colt and gelding pacers will take center stage.

Mike Sardella

Photo: Cheyanne Mandy