Just Make Believe made his return to Saratoga Casino Hotel a winning one on Sunday afternoon (September 25).

The John Di Stefano-trained Open trotter had competed out of town since winning at Saratoga on August 9 and he quickly rediscovered his winning ways in this week’s $16,000 feature.

Jay Randall picked up the catch-drive behind Just Make Believe, who wound up first over on longshot leader Palmers Pride (Mark Beckwith). The six-year-old son of Kadabra powered past that rival and took over the lead turning for home before stopping the timer in 1:55.4. Palmers Pride held second while Cash Poor (Jim Devaux) earned the show spot.

The top two choices in the wagering never factored in the race and Just Make Believe rewarded his backers with a win price of $17.40. The exacta returned $123.50 while the triple paid $578.

The win was the 10th of the year for Just Make Believe and the third in the local Open Trot. He is owned by Linda Kenney and the Di Stefano And Son Stable.

(With files from Saratoga)