Fourteen-year-old pacer Dinner Guest parlayed a pocket trip into to his first seasonal victory on Wednesday afternoon (Oct. 9) at Saratoga Casino Hotel, as he captured the track's $4,815 conditioned pace in 1:55.4.
Driver Dan Cappello Jr. sat behind the Frank Multari-trained son of No Pan Indended, who went over $730,000 in lifetime earnings. It is rare enough for any horse to still be racing at the age of 14, the maximum age for a Standardbred to compete in a pari-mutuel event, but to still have enough in the tank to register a victory is certainly uncommon and impressive. The win was career number 76 for the classy veteran, who is wrapping up a sensational dozen years of racing.
Dinner Guest was honoured in 2018 as Claiming Pacer of the Year at the Spa, enjoying a nine-win campaign last year.
Live racing continues on Thursday afternoon (Oct. 10) with first post time set for 12 noon. There is a $5,000 guaranteed Pick-5 pool on Thursday, as the Saratoga Harness Horseperson’s Association has teamed up with Saratoga Casino Hotel to offer the guarantee. The Pick-5, which begins in race one, is a 50-cent minimum wager.
(with files from Saratoga Casino Hotel)