Returning to action off a three-week layoff, Summit City Sonny stepped back up to the Open trotting ranks at Saratoga Casino Hotel and was a wire-to-wire winner in Monday afternoon's $20,270 feature.
Summit City Sonny prevailed in the Open Handicap for the first time this season after being a solid force in the top trotting class in 2023 for trainer Jesse McAssey. On Monday, catch-driver Matt Athearn guided the five-year-old Dover Dan gelding out to an early lead and clicked off fractions of :27.2, :57.1 and 1:26.2 while turning back the season-debuting favourite, Delayed Hanover (Billy Dobson). He stopped the timer in 1:57 flat for his second (consecutive) win in five seasonal starts.
Summit City Sonny, who is co-owned by Adam Friedland and his trainer, paid $8.20 to win as the 3-1 third choice. City Of Hope (Jimmy Devaux) completed a $19.60 exacta while Ontario Sires Stakes graduate Snowpiercer (Brett Beckwith) finished third in his Open debut to round out a triple that returned $62.
Athearn, who last year was named the Johnny Page Award winner for up-and-coming drivers at the Spa, enjoyed his best day of the season on Monday's matinee card as he scored a grand slam. The 25-year-old reinsman's four-win afternoon puts him in third place in the driver standings with nearly two months of the racing season now complete.
Live harness racing continues on Tuesday afternoon with a matinee that starts at noon.
(With files from Saratoga Casino Hotel)