Trainer Mark Beckwith sent out a parade of winners on Saturday evening, Feb. 24 at Saratoga Casino Hotel including pacers Boozer and Little Willy for a sweep of the card's $15,541 co-features.
Boozer was a winning machine in his breakout three-year-old campaign in 2023, with 11 victories and more than $88,000 in earnings. Now four, the Huntsville gelding is off to a strong start at Saratoga again this year and, on Saturday night, he prevailed for the second consecutive week. Beckwith's son Brett was in the sulky and pointed 3-5 betting favourite Boozer right out to the lead in his conditioned assignment, wiring the field in 1:55.1. Boozer won for the 13th time in 33 career starts. He is owned by his trainer and George Zitone.
Little Willy went first-up to take his division of the same conditioned class in 1:56.1 as the bettors' choice for the Beckwiths. Dropping from the Open class, the six-year-old Up The Credit gelding earned his first victory in three starts this year. A 17-time career winner, he is approaching the $200,000 mark in lifetime earnings.
The Beckwiths teamed up for another victory with Go Dancing A and then Jim Devaux drove Tack Room Chatter to complete the stable's grand slam.
Both Beckwiths wound up with four wins on the night as Brett drove the Kyle Spagnola-trained winner Big Idea in the opener. Saturday’s card was the seventh consecutive in which Brett has recorded at least three winners in what has been a dynamic opening month of the campaign for the 21-year-old rising sulky star.
Live harness racing continues on Sunday afternoon at Saratoga with a matinee that begins at noon.
(With files from Saratoga Casino Hotel; Photo of Boozer winning on Feb. 17 at Saratoga)