Betabcool N became the first distaffer to win the Fillies and Mares Open three times at Saratoga in 2018 when she went coast to coast on Friday night (April 13).
Bruce Aldrich Jr. piloted the Jose Godinez trainee, who powered out to the top in a fast :26.4 first quarter. Despite not getting a significant breather at any point in the mile, Betabcool N held strong throughout and hung on to win in 1:53.2 in the $14,500 Friday feature. The favoured Tempus Seelster (Billy Dobson) raced first-over on the Open’s eventual winner and wound up as the runner-up while Spreester (Frank Coppola Jr.), who had won the previous two installments of the local Open, came on to finish third.
Each of the top three finishers on Friday night had two victories in the Open this year before Betabcool N moved her tally to three behind the wire-to-wire victory in the seventh Fillies and Mares Open to be contested this season.
Blindswitch Racing Stable owns the eight-year-old Bettors Delight mare.
Live racing continues on Saturday night at Saratoga with a first post time of 6:45 p.m.
(With files from Saratoga Casino Hotel)