For the second consecutive week at Saratoga Casino Hotel, Pay Me To Knight reigned supreme going last to first in the Open Handicap Trot. Doug Maura trains and drives the five-year-old, who is in the midst of a sensational season at the Spa.
Pay Me To Knight got away eighth in the eight-horse Open on Sunday and although the fractions were fast, coming from last appeared that it would be a daunting task. Maura gave Pay Me To Knight his cue heading to the three-quarter pole and just wheeled him four-wide around the final turn. Picking off his rivals one by one in the stretch, Pay Me To Knight charged past the field to win a photo in a mile clocked in 1:57.2.
Last Sunday (Oct. 29), Maura’s rising star was dismissed at odds of 14-1 when he won the Open for the second time this season. This week, Pay Me To Knight paid $18 to win in yet another upset. Yucatan Party Man (Billy Dobson) finished second in the $15,000 feature while By The Book (Jay Randall) earned the show spot. The exacta and triple returned $91 and $273, respectively.
Pay Me To Knight, who is owned by Louis Maura of Schenectady, New York, now owns three Open wins and 11 victories total in 2023. The five-year-old gelded son of Conway Hall-Pay Up Now sports a career bankroll of $131,386.
Live harness racing continues on Monday afternoon at Saratoga with a first post time set for noon.
(With files from Saratoga Harness)