American Tour N was a decisive wire-to-wire winner in the $32,200 final of the Step Up To The Plate Claiming Series for fillies and mares on Tuesday at Saratoga Raceway.
Jimmy Devaux piloted the Brett Derue-trained American Ideal mare, who scored victories in legs two and three of the series before being the 1-5 betting favourite in Tuesday’s final. Lookintomyeyes (Leon Bailey) sat the pocket to American Tour N for the second consecutive week and finished second in the final while leg three winner Nora Tova (Phil Fluet) earned the show spot. The time of the mile was 1:53.4.
American Tour N, who is owned in partnership by Derue and Steve Picarazzi, paid $2.40 to win and led a $5 exacta and $23.80 triple.
Derue won the Step Up To The Plate Trotting Series last week when Mr Cool Seaeyre N went coast-to-coast in that divisional final.
La Bella Vita N, winner of the Fillies & Mares Open Handicap Pace in her season's debut on March 7, was back in the Saratoga spotlight for driver Shawn Gray and trainer Alicia Gray as the eight-year-old Changeover mare held off Always Watching (Jordan Derue) and Fond Memories (Matthew Athearn) by less than a length to win Tuesday's $17,000 edition in 1:54.2. Douglas Overhiser and Michael Goldberg Racing share ownership of the popular winner.
Live harness racing resumes on Saturday evening at Saratoga and the program will feature a carryover of $10,269 in the early Pick 5. The Pick 5 starts in the first race, which is set to take place at 5 p.m.
(With files from Saratoga Casino Hotel)