Trainer Jaymes McAssey sent out a trio of winners on Sunday, March 22 at Saratoga Casino Hotel, teaming up with reinsman Kyle Swift for a triple that included winning the matinee card's feature race, the $22,603 Fillies and Mares Winners Over/Open Handicap Pace, with Soft Shot.

Swift found an early spot in fourth for Soft Shot, who hit the board in four of her first six starts in the local Open heading into Sunday's outing. Soft Shot left the pylons coming off the second turn to march first-over on Laurie Lee (Jimmy Devaux), who set early fractions of :27.3 and :57.3. 

With a powerful backstretch blitz, the McAssey trainee wore down the leader and struck the front before three-quarters in 1:25.3, then imposed her will around the final turn before drawing away to win by 2-3/4 lengths. Over a track labelled good, Soft Shot stopped the timer in 1:54.4 for her second Open score since coming to town this season. Custard Dolce (Jacob Cutting), who won back-to-back Opens coming into Sunday’s event, got away last in the eight-horse feature before motoring home late to take second. Laurie Lee held on to finish third. 

Soft Shot is now 21-for-47 lifetime. The five-year-old daughter of Heston Blue Chip-Aims Whisper is owned by Paul O'Neil. She paid $5.52 to win.

McAssey and young reinsman Swift have been a dynamic duo in the first two months of the racing season at Saratoga. McAssey, who has finished in the top three in the trainers' standings on a few occasions, has made Swift his regular driver this year, and together they have thrived. The victory in the Open was one of three for the McAssey-Swift combo on the 13-race Sunday card as they also scored with Mindbodyandsoul ($2.16) and Cyclone Sister ($4.14) with front-end performances. McAssey sits second in the current trainers' standings, and Swift moved up to second among local drivers with his triple. The conditioner had his best statistical season last year and is 28-for-158 across all tracks in 2026.

Live racing continues at Saratoga on Monday with first post time set for noon.

(With files from Saratoga Raceway)