Westsluckycam (Camluck) debuted last month at Saratoga Casino Hotel after the Jose Godinez trainee raced in the claiming ranks at Yonkers for much of the year. After a claim in March by Godinez, the six year old mare climbed the class ladder at Yonkers before coming to the Spa in April to compete in the $12,500 Winners Over for mares. Westsluckycam had a win and a second at that level before testing her fate in the local Open for the first time last week. Bruce Aldrich Jr. is her regular driver in the local tries and piloted her to a second-place finish in last week’s installment of the $15,000 Fillies and Mares Open. On Thursday afternoon, the Godinez-trained distaffer drew post five in the six-horse local feature and powered out to the early lead. Westsluckycam set a sensible pace in lap one and after checking in at the half in 57.4 appeared to have plenty left in the tank. Facing just a brief challenge from first-over rival Queen Elsa (Steve Genois) around the final turn, Westsluckycam kicked away in the stretch to win in 1:55 for her sixth victory of the year and her first in the local Open. Pocket-sitting Sandy Sue (Billy Dobson) was the runner-up in her local debut while Queen Elsa earned the show spot. Westsluckycam paid $8.00 to win and led an exacta and triple that returned $26.40 and $101.50, respectively.
Live racing resumes on Saturday evening at the Spa with a 6:45pm first post.
Mike Sardella
Photo: Melissa Simser-Iovino
