The Thursday (March 7) feature at Saratoga Casino Hotel looked like an Australian invasion. Four of the six participants in the $15,000 Fillies and Mares Open were Australian imports, and the stretch run of the race was comprised of the invaders.

The race’s favourite, Sally Fletcher A (who was driven by Bruce Aldrich Jr.), had to navigate through some traffic trouble in the feature while Shez Sugarsweet A (by Somebeachsomewhere) was on the front-end.

The duo squared off around the final turn and it was Shez Sugarsweet A who dug in and hung on in what was her second career local try. Ron Cushing trains and drives the six-year-old mare who is two-for-two at ‘the Spa’ following Thursday’s 1:56.4 victory.

Shez Sugarsweet A, pictured victorious at Saratoga Casino Hotel on Thursday, March 7, 2019

Sally Fletcher A was the runner-up while Annabeth (Mark Beckwith) earned the show spot.

Shez Sugarsweet A returned $10.60 to win and led an exacta and triple that paid $33.20 and $200.50, respectively. The Australian quartet finished first, second, fourth and fifth in the Thursday feature as Shez Sugarsweet A remained undefeated after her pair of local tries in 2019.

Live racing at the Spa will resume on Saturday night. First-race post time will be at 6:45 p.m.

(Saratoga Casino Hotel)