Lake Charles continued what has been a terrific start to the season in the Open Pace at Saratoga Casino Hotel for trainer Amanda Kelley when the five-year-old Well Said gelding won the featured race on Saturday evening (May 21).
Lake Charles enjoyed a strong 2021 campaign at the Spa winning the Open three times in his first local season out of the Kelley stable, including two of the final three installments of the feature for pacers on the year. His successes spilled right over to ’22 as Lake Charles scored an Open win in both February and March at Saratoga before stopping the timer in 1:51.4 for a victory in a $22,500 race for top-flight pacers at Plainridge a couple of weeks ago.
On Saturday night, driver Leon Bailey powered Lake Charles out to the front end and despite posting first-half fractions of :27.1 and 56 seconds, he had plenty left for the final half en route to a wire-to-wire win in the $15,000 Open. Somebeach Baron (Shawn Gray) sat the pocket and finished second while Mikibytheseaside (Jay Randall) earned the show spot in a sizzling mile paced in 1:51.3.
Lake Charles paid $4.60 to win as the 6-5 favourite and led an exacta and triple that returned $27.20 and $82.50, respectively.
The Open Pace win was the fifth for the Kelley stable, who secured victories this season with Mach Le More and Belmont Major N in addition to three Open scores with Lake Charles in the first few months of the ’22 campaign at Saratoga. Lake Charles is owned by Scheigertandalliesracing LLC of Saratoga Springs, New York.
(Saratoga Casino Hotel)