Winter Mint was the fastest among the winners of the $11,000 co-features at Saratoga Casino Hotel on the Thursday (November 8) program.
The Perry Simser trainee was the public’s 1-2 betting favourite in his division of the three co-features for New York-sired trotters. Frank Coppola Jr. piloted Winter Mint and kept that one close to the action early on before cutting him loose first over. The four-year-old trotted away to prevail in 1:58.2, the fastest win time of the three co-features. Winter Mint’s victory was the second in his last four starts and second of the season.
While Winter Mint was a big favourite on Thursday, Lasa Dida Lady was a big longshot when she went last to first to pull off the upset at 21-1. John Stark Jr. trains and drives Lasa Dida Lady who swooped the group, taking advantage of some traffic trouble for the race’s favourite en route to recording her eighth win of the season. She stopped the timer in 2:00.2 in the Thursday co-feature score. Stark had the runners-up in the other two $11,000 trotting events on the card with his Miss Muscle and Jeters Way finishing second-best.
Cherry Peep parlayed her pocket ride to victory in the final of three co-features on the day as the Amy Dowd trainee sat patiently throughout before pouncing in the stretch and stopping the timer in 1:59.1. Driven by Jay Randall, Cherry Peep’s win was her first in three starts since moving to the Dowd stable. She bested Jeters Way en route to her fifth victory of 2018.
Live harness racing continues on Friday at Saratoga with a 6:45 p.m. first post.
(Saratoga)