Conditioner Gary Levine scored a double on Monday afternoon, March 11 at Saratoga Casino Hotel as the former leading trainer watched a pair of his trainees score in the $12,838 co-features.

Levine, the 2020 training champ at the Spa, owns and trains U Bake The Cake, who was the even-money favourite in the wagering in his featured trotting race on the Monday card. Jimmy Devaux sat behind the five-year-old Cantab Hall gelding, who got a pocket trip before pulling the two-hole after the three-quarter pole and cruising past the leader to assume command in the stretch and stop the timer in 1:59.4.

It was the second winner of the day for Levine, whose Hashtag Watch Me (pictured above) sprung a mild upset in his featured assignment for colt and gelding pacers. The five-year-old Hes Watching gelding had a pair of second-place finishes in his first four local starts before drawing the rail on Monday. Driver Matt Athearn was aggressive in the early going with Hashtag Watch Me and retook the lead from the race’s favourite approaching the opening quarter and never relinquished that lead en route to a 1:57 score. Hashtag Watch Me paid $12.20 in the slight upset.

Levine’s pair of victories on Monday added to his bulky tally as he has gotten off to a strong start in the early portion of the 2024 campaign. Athearn piloted four winners on the 13-race card while Devaux’s win behind U Bake The Cake was one of five on the day for the Spa’s three-time defending top driver.  

Live harness racing continues on Tuesday afternoon with a matinee that begins at noon.   

(With files from Saratoga Casino Hotel)