The Open Trot had its first dead heat of the season on Tuesday night at Saratoga Casino Hotel.
The $18,000 Open saw seven top-flight square off in what would be the first ‘tie’ of the year in a feature at the Spa. Kyle Spagnola’s Cash Me Out (Cash Hall) was co-favoured at odds of 2-1 as he made his return from a brief stint at Yonkers. Up The Alley (Muscle Mass) came into the Open off back to back runner up tries in the local feature just a month after setting a lifetime mark at the Meadowlands.
Twisted Pretzel (Jim Devaux) may be having the best season of any local trotter and on Tuesday night got an easy lead over a track labeled sloppy. Twisted Pretzel went a first half in :59.1 before Cash Me Out came first over on him. As Cash Me Out was grinding it out first-up, Up The Alley was drafting with cover. It was that tandem that swallowed up the leader late in the mile and matched strides right up to the wire when it got there together for a dead heat in 1:56.2. Yonkers invader Tober (Frank Coppola, Jr.) earned the show spot while Twisted Pretzel had to settle for fourth.
The win for Cash Me Out gave driver Billy Dobson his third victory on the card. For the five year old Up The Alley, it was his first Open win at Saratoga. Up The Alley is trained by Richie Silverman.
Live racing continues on Wednesday night at Saratoga with a 7:05 p.m. first post.
(Saratoga Casino Hotel)