In what has been a dominant season for trainer Mark Beckwith at Saratoga Casino Hotel, the meet’s leading trainer sent out the Canadian-owned distaffer Arizona to victory on Monday, Oct. 14 in the $20,548 Fillies and Mares Open Handicap Pace as he has done so many times this season.
Arizona had post six in the six-horse feature for the mares and driver Wally Hennessey was content to get away toward the back of the pack on Monday. Landing fifth in the early going, Arizona made her move approaching the half-mile pole where the favourite The Pantheist A (Shawn Gray) travelled unopposed. Arizona closed in a bit with every stride before eventually collaring the leader turning for home. The
Beckwith trainee surged away from her rivals to score in 1:55 over a track labelled ‘sloppy.’ Laurie Lee (Jimmy Devaux) closed sharply to finish second and hit the board for the third consecutive time in the local Open while The Pantheist A held on for third.
Arizona’s victory was her sixth in Saratoga's Mares Open this year, the most for any distaffer, and gave her trainer his 11th win in the Mares Open class this season.
Owned by Wendy Warren Timpano of Campbellville, Ont., the five-year-old Up The Credit-Jo And Maria mare was the 1-2 betting favourite as she recorded her 10th victory of the season from 26 starts and led an exacta and triple that paid $12 and $28.80, respectively.
Hennessey, who has been on a complete tear in the last couple of months, won four more races on Monday’s matinee.
Live harness racing resumes on Saturday evening at Saratoga with racing starting at 5 p.m.
(With files from Saratoga Casino Hotel)