A 14-race card full of rain and mud labelled the track sloppy for Sunday's (May 5) matinee ensemble at Saratoga Casino Hotel, but the weather posed no threat to Dan Daley, who piloted his trainees to a training hat trick.
Daley kicked off his day at the Spa with a win in the opener, a $10,959 conditioned trot, with Fringed. The three-year-old Crazy Wow-Jinx gelding made every pole a winning one through panels in :28.1, :59 and 1:28.1 before going on to win by a half length in 1:59.4. Sunrise Winner and Brett Beckwith closed sharply, taking second, while Twilight Deo (Chris Long) completed the trifecta.
Ann-Mari Daley, Jared Daley, Oleg Ivutin and Bain Racing Stables co-own Fringed, who earned his first win of the year and his third career victory from 12 starts. He moved his lifetime sum to $50,487. As the heavily backed favourite, Fringed returned $2.70 to win.
Daley returned to the winner's circle with his second entry on the card, Erin (pictured above), in race seven, a $10,959 conditioned trot. Erin followed a similar tactic to her stablemate with a gate-to-wire mile, leading through panels in :29.3, 1:00.2 and 1:29.3 before opening up to a 5-1/4-length score in 1:59.4. Easy In The Turns (Wally Hennessey) took second with Lisas Lucky Lady (Matty Athearn) third.
Ann-Mari Daley, Jared Daley and Donald Brenner co-own the sophomore daughter of E L Titan out of the Chapter Seven mare Blurred. Erin earned her first win in her first start this year and her second career tally from nine starts, moving her lifetime sum to $67,645. She paid $3 to win as the bettors' choice.
Ramborain was the final entry on the card for the Daley stable in race 12's conditioned trot worth $10,274. Despite being parked to the quarter in :30, the Crazy Wow-Scarlett Rayne Deo gelding did as his stablemates did with a winning mile. He found the pylons before the 1:00.4 half and continued through the three-quarters in 1:31.2 to the wire in 2:01.3, winning by 1-1/2 lengths. Courageous Modello (John Stark Jr.) finished second and Dream Wow (Wally Hennessey) was third.
Ann-Mari Daley, Jlrl LLC, Todd Van Alstyne and Margaret Waterbury co-own the winner of $20,042 and two career races from 11 starts. Ramborain won his second race from three starts this year. He paid $3 to win.
Comeonover Hanover won the $20,548 Winners Over / Open Handicap Trot on Sunday with Wally Hennessey in the bike for trainer Andy Gardner.
Hennessey and the six-year-old Sebastian K S-Carmita gelding were parked on the outside in first through the opening panel in :28.2 before taking command of the field and timer. The pair maintained a 1-1/2-length lead through panels in :59.1 and 1:27.3. Tantra Blue Chip (Billy Dobson) stalked the pacesetter's moves from the outside for most of the mile before making his advance in the stretch. The pair duelled towards the finish, but Comeonover Hanover pushed just enough to prevail by a nose in 1:57.3. Tantra Blue Chip had to settle for second and Powerscourt (Mickey McGivern) completed the top three.
Percy Elkins of Milton, Ont. owns Comeonover Hanover, a winner of $234,598 in career earnings. He earned his second win in 14 starts this year and 14th victory from 125 career starts. As the 2-1 second choice, he returned $6.80 to win.
Three $13,699 divisions of the John Mongeon Sr. Memorial Trot went to the gate as part of the third leg of the series with the final slated for next week, Sunday, May 12.
Pembroke Traveler ($2.20) took the first division with Mcgwire Sowers piloting his student to a gate-to-wire triumph in 1:59 by five lengths over Sunnys Rebel (Matty Athearn) and Niccolo (Mitch Cushing). Autym Robinson owns the four-year-old Pembroke Slugger-Pembroke Conifer gelding.
Barnello ($4.20) grabbed the second division by 1-1/2 lengths in 1:59.4 over Packmia (Chris Long) and Technical Wow (Evan Hoagland). Brian Cross piloted the sophomore Bar Hopping-Dornello gelding for trainer Jody Weidman, who co-owns Barnello with Wayne Worden.
Queen Indeed ($2.40) once again defeated the boys, winning every panel before triumphing by 3-1/2 lengths in 1:59.4 over Seven Beads (Mickey McGivern) and Tacticland (Jim Devaux). Billy Dobson drove the winning four-year-old E L Titan-Queen Of More mare for trainer/owner Gary Levine.
There was a record handle at the Saratoga Springs oval during the matinee card with $714,997 USD pushed through the windows.
Racing at Saratoga Casino Hotel resumes on Monday, May 6 with 14 races set to go postward at 12 p.m.
(With files from Saratoga Casino Hotel)