The 2024 Horse of the Year at Saratoga Casino Hotel, By The Book notched his third win of 2025, with the Scott Mongeon trainee scoring in the $21,918 Open Trot during the afternoon card on Monday, July 21.
By The Book drew the outside post for his try in the Open Trot but after a scratch, inherited post six. Driver Jay Randall was patient in the early going with the award-winning trotter who got away last in the six-horse feature. The favoured Duke Lavictoire (Wally Hennessey) set first-half fractions of :27.2 and :57.3 before By The Book made his move approaching the three-quarter pole. Climbing out of a hole of nearly 10 lengths, By The Book took over the lead in the stretch before stopping the timer in 1:56.3 to record his second Open victory of the campaign. Duke Lavictoire was the runner-up while Draco S (Mark Beckwith) finished third in his local debut.
By The Book, a son of Chapter Seven - Explosive High, is owned in partnership by Charles Harrison of Mechanicville, Frederick Barthelmas of Ballston Spa and Tina Murray of Queensbury, N.Y. He paid $6.20 to win on Monday and led an exacta and triple that returned $15.20 and $107, respectively.
Randall piloted a pair of winners on the Monday card.
Live racing continues on Tuesday with a matinee that begins at 12 p.m.
(With files from Saratoga Raceway; Photo of By The Book winning a previous race.)