Bye Bye Michelle has been a force since coming to Saratoga Casino Hotel a couple years back. Thriving out of several different stables over her time at the Spa, Bye Bye Michelle has done most of her damage locally while competing in the high level claiming ranks.
At times, the veteran mare has raced in the Fillies and Mares Open and has had some solid showings against the track’s top distaffers. The eight-year-old Stonebridge Regal mare had yet to record a win in the local Open this season when, on Friday night, she started from post three in the six-horse feature.
Bye Bye Michelle moved first-over on the race’s 1-5 betting favourite Lady Shadow (Wally Hennessey), who has been the Open’s star over the last month plus. Bye Bye Michelle ground the leader into submission and wound up stopping the timer in 1:53 to record the win in the $14,500 Open for trainer Donald Billings and owner Clifford Grundy. Invader Roll With Sparky (John MacDonald) came from off the pace to finish second while the heavily favoured Lady Shadow had to settle for third.
Bye Bye Michelle, who was driven to victory by Jimmy Devaux, paid $15 to win in the mild upset and led an exacta and triple that came back $89 and $261, respectively.
A career winner of 39 races, Bye Bye Michelle has earned more than $300,000 in purses.
Live racing continues on Saturday night at Saratoga Casino Hotel with a 7:05 p.m. first post.
(With files from Saratoga Casino Hotel)