Trainer/driver Phil Fluet won both halves of the Thursday co-features at Saratoga Casino Hotel on Thursday night.
There were two divisions of the $8,000 featured trot for New York Sired high steppers and Fluet piloted home a favourite and a longshot winner.
Mo Titos Blue Chip (Crazed) scored in the evening’s opener as she set a new lifetime mark in 1:59.4. The race’s 3-5 betting favourite, Mo Titos Blue Chip recorded her second victory of the year.
The Fluet-trained Financial Focus (Crazed) was up against a 1-5 favourite in her division of the featured trotting events on Thursday. After coming away third in the early going, Fluet guided Financial Focus up to challenge the big favourite Cupid (Mark Beckwith) around the final turn before getting the best of him by a head at the wire.
The Two-Year-Old Trotter of the Year at the Spa last year, Financial Focus was dismissed at odds of 14-1 on Thursday as she put in her career best performance winning in 1:59.
Fluet, who was named the Johnny Page and Peerless McGrath Award winner in ’15 for top breakthrough driver and trainer, respectively, is having another solid campaign in his second full year competing at the Spa.
Live racing continues on Friday night at Saratoga with a 7:05 p.m. post time.
(Saratoga Casino Hotel)