Happy Heart continued her recent strong stretch in the Fillies and Mares Open at Saratoga Casino Hotel when she scored a wire-to-wire win on Friday night (October 26).
The feature field was reduced to just four participants following a scratch and Happy Heart and driver Mark Beckwith took full advantage. The five-year-old Woodstock mare cruised out to an uncontested lead and coasted through a first half of just :58.4. With about three-eighths of a mile remaining in the $16,000 Open, Happy Heart was presented with her first challenge when the winner of the last two Fillies and Mares Opens Sally Fletcher A (Bruce Aldrich Jr.) came rushing up to challenge. Together, Happy Heart and Sally Fletcher A comprised the exactas in three consecutive Friday features but this week, it would be Happy Heart hanging on to win and feature first-timer OK Jewel (Jimmy Devaux) coming on to finish second. Sally Fletcher A had to settle for third in the mile paced in 1:56.
For Happy Heart, it was the third Open win of the season and extended her streak of hitting the board in the Friday feature to six.
Despite the fact that the 3-5 favourite prevailed in just a four-horse field, the exacta with OK Jewel second returned a solid $26.80.
Happy Heart, who is trained by Melissa Beckwith for owners Thomas McTygue and Masie Stable LLC, has now recorded eight victories on the year.
(With files from Saratoga Casino Hotel)