After the 2023 opening day of Saratoga Race Course this week, Saratoga Casino Hotel moved to a later post time which was met with 15 races and a card full of New York Sire Stakes (NYSS) and NYSS Excelsior divisions for the first Friday evening (July 14) of the season.
Team Miller -- trainer/father Erv and driver/son Marcus -- opened up the evening card with a pocket trip victory from Leannes Choice (pictured above) in the $52,200 NYSS division for two-year-old pacing fillies.
Eight freshman fillies set up behind the gate and Bronx Barista (Mark MacDonald) was the first to the front. Leannes Choice trailed in second as Bronx Barista opened up to a four-length advantage at the quarter in :26.4. Bronx Barista continued to open up by 7-3/4 lengths, buzzing past the half in :54.2 and three-quarters in 1:23. But the lead shortened as the field started to swarm the pacesetter. Down the stretch, Leannes Choice took over, fending off Camerican (Jordan Stratton) at the wire by a half-length in 1:53. Peace Talks (Jason Bartlett) finished third.
Erv Miller trains the upset winner who, off at odds of 19-1, paid $39.80 to win. Co-owned by the Ervin Miller Stable Inc., Ronald Michelon and Douglas Overhiser, the Courtly Choice-Village Madonna daughter collected her first win in her debut start.
Driver Jason Bartlett took his first of two stakes victories with Blue Point winning the $51,300 second race for the NYSS starters.
Im A Believer (Stratton) and Fresh Legs (Matt Kakaley) battled it out for the top spot as Im A Believer secured her spot along the pylons and Fresh Legs was caught on the outside through the first panel in :28.1. Blue Point followed in third. Brett Crawford was the first to make a move, sending Lady Saturn first-over before the half in :57.4 while the top four remained unchanged. Before the three-quarters in 1:26.2 and before she was met by the outer flow led by Lady Saturn, Blue Point tipped out and aimed for the top. Around the final turn, Bartlett and Blue Point took command and took off, taking the victory by five lengths in 1:54.2. Im A Believer was second and Lady Saturn rounded out the top three.
The two-year-old Huntsville-Amber Blue Chip daughter is trained by Edward Hart and owned by Pollack Racing LLC as she won first first race in three career starts.
Bartlett landed right back in the winner's circle as Sea Pearl took the third $51,300 NYSS division with a wire-to-wire trip.
Bartlett was in the bike for Linda Toscano as he sent Sea Pearl to the front. They set panels in :29, :59 and 1:27.4 before crossing the wire 2-1/4 lengths the best in a new mark of 1:56.3. Highway Queen (Brett Beckwith) was second and Moderna Hanover (Tyler Buter) finished third.
Brittany Farms LLC bred and owns Sea Pearl. The daughter of American Ideal-Lady Captain won her second career race and second NYSS division, moving her career bankroll to $38,775.
In the five $20,000 NYSS Excelsior Series divisions, Petrol Queen (Stratton, 1:58.1), Delivered On Tyme (Alek Chartrand, 1:57.4), Chriss Choice (Kakaley, 1:58), Ideal Skies (Chartrand, 1:59.3) and KJ Huntress (Jim Devaux, 1:57.4) each took home a win.
In the $17,000 Winners Over / Open Trot, Billy Dobson and Yucatan Party Man were parked to the quarter as Bluffinner (Jordan Derue) controlled the rail real estate. The opening panel was clocked in :28.3 before Yucatan Party Man settled into the lead along the pylons. Dobson and the Gary Levine trainee continued on top through the half in :59 and three-quarters in 1:27.3 before taking the win by 1-3/4 lengths in 1:57. Bluffinner finished second and By The Book (Jay Randall) rounded out the top three.
Levine owns the five-year-old Credit Winner gelding, who earned his sixth win from 22 starts this season and his 11th career win. He moved his lifetime bankroll to $198,675.
Racing resumes at the Spa on Saturday evening with a first post of 6:45 p.m.
(With files from Saratoga Casino Hotel)