Canadian-owned pacing mare Arizona won the $20,548 Fillies & Mares Open Handicap by half a dozen lengths on Monday afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel.
Hall of Fame driver Wally Hennessey rattled off four consecutive wins in races five through eight on the 11-race program, including one with the Mark Beckwith-trained Arizona in the feature.
The five-year-old Up The Credit distaffer flashed early speed before yielding to the race’s favourite, Racine Bell (Jimmy Devaux). Arizona prowled the pocket as millionairess Racine Bell rattled off first-half fractions of :26.4 and :55.4. Hennessey popped the pocket
heading towards three-quarters, which went in 1:24, and Arizona unleashed a full-blown attack on the favourite pacing into a big lead heading into the final turn. Arizona scored her fifth victory of the season, winning by six lengths in a mile clocked in 1:52.2. Racy Roxy A (Jay Randall) closed to finish second at odds of 10-1 while the 1-2 favourite Racine Bell had to settle for third.
Arizona has now won 24 of her 54 career starts with 13 other top three finishes, good for $190,617 in purse earnings.
She returned $6.30 to win as the 2-1 second choice.
Arizona’s owner, Wendy Warren Timpano of Campbellville, Ont., had two wins on the day as she teamed up with meet-leading trainer Beckwith for another victory with I Loved Her First (Jay Randall), co-owned by B.C.'s Seaspray Stables, in a $13,014 pacing event for fillies and mares.
Live harness racing resumes on Saturday evening at Saratoga with a first post time of 5 p.m.
(With files from Saratoga Casino Hotel)