Ulster (Glidemaster) continued his recent dominance of the Open Trot at Saratoga Casino Hotel on Sunday as the Amanda Facin trainee recorded his fourth win in his last five starts in Open company. Ulster overcame his outside post on Sunday but had to work awfully hard to do so. The seven year trotter left and found a spot midpack in the early going before moving first over at the half. In a mile clocked in 1:55.3, Ulster toughed out the first-over journey in the fastest time for a trotter thus far this season at the Spa. Armor Hanover (Larry Stalbaum) was the pocket sitter in the $12,000 feature and wound up as the runner-up while Keystone Ace (Bruce Aldrich Jr) earned the show spot. Ulster, who wrapped up his 2017 season with three consecutive victories, two of which came in the Open, began his ’18 campaign with another Open score before winning his fourth ever feature on Sunday afternoon. All of the rising trotting star’s victories have come with driver Jay Randall in the sulky. Ulster paid $9.00 to win in his most recent score and led an exacta and triple that came back $45.40 and $227.50, respectively.
Live racing resumes on Thursday afternoon at Saratoga with a matinee beginning at 12:15pm.
Mike Sardella
Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino