With a flurry of action on the front then tiring to the finish, Quagmire Bluechip avoided trouble to take the $16,000 Open at Saratoga Casino Hotel on Saturday (Aug. 28).
Almost every week, Quagmire Bluechip has been a longshot in the feature. And with a nine-horse field in Saturday’s nine-horse, Quagmire Bluechip again went at long odds and did what he always does: took back in the early going.
The favourite was on the front and faltered, opening the door for a host of closers to have a shot in the stretch. When the dust settled, it was Quagmire Bluechip who reigned supreme, stopping the timer in a lifetime-best 1:53 to give 18-year-old Brett Beckwith his first victory in the local Open.
Dismissed at odds of 14-1, Quagmire Bluechip paid $30 to win and led an exacta with fellow longshot Machiatto A that came back $228.50. The triple was completed by Lake Charles and returned a hefty $2,538 in a race which was a longshot bettor’s delight.
Quagmire Bluechip, whose win was his fifth of the year, is owned by the Abbott and Costello Stable of Clinton, N.Y. and trained by Janice Connor.
The co-featured Fillies and Mares Open went the way of Robyn Camden. The Rob Harmon trainee floated off the car in the six-horse affair and got away fourth before following the live cover of Miss Irish Rose A past the half. After Miss Irish Rose A cleared the lead, Robyn Camden set her sights on the new leader and downed her in the stretch to record the victory in 1:53.4.
It was win number six on the season for Robyn Camden, who is owned by Jason Osullivan of Dublin, Ire. Robyn Camden was driven to victory by Jay Randall who came up just shy of sweeping the double feature after finishing second in the “boys” Open with Machiatto A.
Live racing resumes on Monday afternoon (Aug. 30) at Saratoga with a first post time of 12 p.m. (EDT).
(Saratoga Casino Hotel)