With the Fillies and Mares Open set to be contested on Saturday night this week, a $9,500 conditional race for the ladies served as the Friday feature at Saratoga Casino Hotel.
John MacDonald trainee All Charged Up (sired by Ponder) made her return to the Spa where she competed twice in the Open in June. Though she didn’t have much success in her two local starts, All Charged Up is enjoying a big season having won seven times coming into Friday’s try.
Driver Jay Randall moved the invader out early before yielding to the race’s favourite, Rock N Roll Rosie (Jim Devaux), who came into the feature with five wins in her seven local starts this season. The favourite did not have her ‘A’ game on Friday evening and when All Charged Up found room in the passing lane, she surged. Longshot rival Keene Olivia (Billy Dobson) got away last in the field of seven, but made a power move in the final quarter before coming up just shy of All Charged Up for the victory. Stylish Beachwhere (Wally Hennessey) finished third in the evening’s feature.
All Charged Up, whose win came in 1:54.1, was the second-choice in the wagering, returning $6.20 to win. She led an exacta and triple that paid $88.50 and $332.50, respectively, with the favourite out of the number.
The granddaddy of all amateur driving organizations, the ever-travelling C.K.G. Billings Harness Driving Series, made a stop at Saratoga on Friday night and when it was all over Tony “the Capo” Verruso emerged victorious when he guided Mandeville to a 2:00.2 triumph over seven others.
Live racing continues on Saturday night at Saratoga with a 12-race, star-studded card. The evening features the $260,000 Joe Gerrity Jr. Memorial Pace as well as New York Sire Stakes action for three-year-old pacing colts. The richest horse in harness racing history, Foiled Again, will be on hand to take part in the evening’s sixth race and will be squaring off against defending Saratoga Horse of the Year Artful Way. In addition, there will be three Opens contested, each of which goes for a purse of $25,000 on the richest race card of the season at the Spa. There will be a $7,777 guarantee in the Pick 5 pool on Saturday as well.
(With files form Saratoga Casino Hotel & Billings Series)