Amanda Kelley has been the winningest trainer in the Open Pace thus far this season at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Her stable came into Saturday night (Aug. 13) with eight wins in the feature for pacers and added another one to her tally.
Mach Le More A prevailed in his previous try in the Open when he set a lifetime mark scoring in 1:52. Following a week off, it was back into the $16,000 feature for the Aussie invader who had leading driver Jimmy Devaux at the controls.
Devaux blasted Mach Le More A out at the start and got to the top in a reasonable :28.1 before clicking off a half in :56.4. The seven-year-old Mach Three gelding still appeared strong through three-quarters of 1:24.2 and his rivals proved no match for the Kelley trainee in the stretch as he paced away from them to stop the timer in 1:52 to match the lifetime mark he set in his previous start. Nuttin But Finesse (Brett Beckwith) sat the pocket and finished second while Crockets Cullen N (Larry Stalbaum) surged to come on for third.
Mach Le More A paid $9.10 to win in recording his third Open score of the season.
Kelley’s Lake Charles is the winningest horse in Opens this year at the Spa and dropped down into Winners Over company on Saturday night. Competing in a $13,750 event for pacers, the son of Well Said put in pretty much a carbon copy effort from that of stablemate Mach Le More A as he assumed command from the get-go and went on to wire his field in 1:52.1 at odds of 3-1. Lake Charles, who like Mach Le More A is owned by Scheigert&Alliesracing LLC, was driven to victory by Shawn Gray.
Live racing continues on Sunday evening at Saratoga with a first post set for 6:45 p.m.
(Saratoga Casino Hotel)