It was another big afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel on Monday, July 1 for Hall of Fame driver Wally Hennessey.
The veteran reinsman piloted seven winners on the 13-race card, including a score in the afternoon’s feature. Hennessey sat behind the 1-9 betting favourite in the $20,548 Fillies and Mares Open Handicap Pace for trainer Mark Beckwith as the Canadian-owned mare Arizona looked to three-peat while returning to town off a career-best score of 1:50.2 on June 18 at Plainridge Park.
Arizona drew post position six in the six-horse Open and Hennessey situated her fourth in the early going. The fractions were fierce with Alittlesidehustl N (Billy Dobson) and Magical Maya A (Brian Cross) trading turns on the lead through a :27.2 first quarter and a :55.4 half. Arizona made her move past the half and unloaded on the competition, pacing into an insurmountable lead heading towards the three-quarter pole in 1:24. Hennessey was just a passenger as Arizona powered away from her rivals to win by a commanding three lengths, stopping the timer in 1:52.4. Alittlesidehustl N finished a clear second while Magical Maya A wound up a well-beaten third-place finisher.
Arizona won for the second consecutive time in local Mares Open and now has seven victories overall on the season from 15 starts. The five-year-old Up The Credit-Jo And Maria distaffer is owned by Wendy Timpano of Campbellville, Ont. She paid $2.20 to win.
Hennessey also teamed up with Beckwith trainees for two more wins. Veteran pacing mare Bronze Over N ($3.30) went coast-to-coast in a $12,329 claiming event for pacing mares while sophomore trotter Disco Wiz ($2.90) recorded his fifth victory of the season while cruising to his third consecutive score.
Hennessey also won with Shes Never Wrong ($3.40) for trainer Eve Bergeron, DWs Suzanne ($4.50) for conditioner Sean Campbell and Jaymes Mcassey trainees Violets Rainbow ($2.20) and Okeechobee Jet ($2.70).
Live harness racing resumes on Saturday evening with a 5 p.m. first post.
(With files from Saratoga Casino Hotel)