Three-year-old pacing filly Round The Beach (Somebeachsomewhere-Bodacious Hanover) has been nothing shy of sensational since being acquired by owner/trainer John MacDonald at the beginning of October.
The three-year-old filly went three-for-three at Vernon Downs with MacDonald in the sulky before coming to Saratoga Casino Hotel towards the end of last month. Jay Randall picked up the drive and sat behind Round The Beach as she scored convincingly in 1:53.4 in her Spa debut. The filly secured her sixth consecutive victory last weekend when her trainer piloted the rising star to victory despite a step up in class.
This Friday night, Round The Beach was vaulted into the Fillies and Mares Open for the first time and was tasked with taking on some terrific mares. Randall was aggressive in the early going and moved Round The Beach to the top in a first quarter clocked in :27.2. The filly traveled unopposed throughout the middle half and after checking in at three quarters in 1:25.1, stepped on the gas when met with the challenge of pocket-sitter Betabcool N (Bruce Aldrich Jr). Meanwhile, the race’s odds-on favourite Seventimesavirgin (Billy Dobson) began working closer while trying to pull off a last-to-first move in the feature. Round The Beach again proved up to the task as she extended her win streak to seven since the move to the MacDonald barn, wiring the field in 1:54.1 in the $18,000 Friday feature.
Round The Beach, who paid $9.30 in her Open score, kept reinsman Jay Randall red hot. The Saratoga veteran piloted four winners on Thursday afternoon and has had a terrific 2018 as a whole. Betabcool N was the runner-up in the feature while the favoured Seventimesavirgin had to settle for third.
Live racing continues on Saturday night with a 6:45 p.m. first post.
(With files from Saratoga Casino Hotel)