Miss Irish Rose A sprung the upset in Thursday’s $15,000 Fillies & Mares Open Pace at Saratoga Casino Hotel for the tandem of owner/driver Larry Stalbaum and trainer Tracy Tarantino.
The daughter of Mcardle wound up getting a pocket ride in the featured affair, and she didn’t let it go to waste. Miss Irish Rose A sat the two-hole to Yonkers invader Sandys Beach (Billy Dobson), who made an early beeline to the lead in the feature.
The race’s favourite, The Charging Moa N (Jay Randall), was last of the five pacing mares when she made her move approaching the three-quarter pole but her chase proved futile. Miss Irish Rose A popped the pocket on Sandys Beach around the final turn before coming on to score the upset at odds of 16-1. Sandys Beach held second while Bye Bye Felicia (Mark Beckwith) came on to finish third.
Miss Irish Rose A paid $34.60 in her upset win and led an Exacta that returned $93.50.
The win was one of two on the day for Stalbaum and Tarantino as their Gina Grace N (Bettors Delight) made good at odds of 1-5 to record her first victory of the season. Miss Irish Rose A joins stablemate Crockets Cullen N as Tarantino trainees to win an Open during the first week of the 2020 campaign at the Spa.
Live racing resumes on Sunday afternoon with a matinee beginning at noon.
(Saratoga Casino Hotel)