Twin B Echo prevailed in the $25,694 Fillies and Mares Open Pace for the second time this season at Saratoga Casino Hotel on Tuesday, Sept. 16 to top a training triple for Nick Devita.

Twin B Echo drew post four with Jim Devaux in the bike for her try in the top class for distaffers. Waitforever N (Aaron Byron) posted first-half fractions of :27.1 and :56.4 before being met with the first-up challenge of Twin B Echo approaching three-quarters in 1:25.2. Racy Roxy A (Jay Randall) sat the pocket to Waitforever N and accounted for half of the two-pronged challenge to that leader in a stretch drive that resulted in four mares separated by 1-1/2 lengths at the wire. When it was all said and done, Twin B Echo prevailed in 1:54.2 by three-quarters of a length. Racy Roxy A was the runner-up while Waitforever N, a four-time Open winner at The Spa this season, earned the show spot. 

Twin B Echo, a five-year-old daughter of Artspeak-Twin B Epic, tallied her 14th career win in 84 starts. She is owned by David Hamm and EVM Racing LLC. She returned $6.58 to win.

Twin B Echo was the second of a trio of winners for conditioner Nick Devita. Devaux piloted all three, starting with Shes Epic ($2.36) in 1:53.3 in the fourth race and concluding with Gabbys Wish ($4.52) in 1:55.3 in the 11th. Devita has won 126 races this season and is approaching a career-best year in earnings, needing less than $15,000 for a new mark.

Devaux also won with Hurrikane Lori Ann ($6.76) in Race 10 in 1:55.3 and Friday ($13.02) in 1:57.2 in Race 12 for five driving victories on the 13-race program. With the performance, Devaux took the lead in the drivers' standings over young star Brett Beckwith. Devaux, Saratoga's 2023 leading driver, is now four tallies ahead of Beckwith, last season's champion. The reinsman is striking at an 18.7 per cent clip this season with 253 victories, 211 of which have come at Saratoga.

Trainer Andy Gardner matched Devita's feat with a triple of his own. His wins came with Tiny But Mighty ($6.20) in the seventh race, Friday, and Exotic Dragon ($5.36) in 1:56.4 in the finale. Garndner improved his seasonal win total to 66 with Tuesday's three-bagger.

Live racing resumes on Sunday afternoon at Saratoga with a matinee that begins at noon.

(With files from Saratoga Raceway)