Monday was an incredible day in the Hall of Fame career of driver Wally Hennessey when the 67-year-old reinsman came up just shy of the all-time track record at Saratoga Casino Hotel for wins on a card.
A career winner of 11,800 races at the start of the day, Hennessey piloted seven winners on the 13-race matinee program with three of his victories for leading trainer Mark Beckwith.
Hennessey and Beckwith teamed up for a win in the afternoon's feature when Remy Brown N went coast-to-coast in the $20,270 Fillies and Mares Open Handicap Pace. Remy Brown N cruised through a leisurely first lap of 58 seconds while unopposed before scoring a decisive win in 1:55. The New Zealand invader joined the Beckwith barn this week and immediately thrived for her new connections while recording her seventh win in 14 seasonal starts. Sophomore filly Lady Saturn (Brett Crawford) sat the pocket to the winner and finished second in her debut in the Open while Rec Time (Jordan Derue) finished third.
The seven wins on a card for Hennessey puts him just shy of the total put up by Frank Coppola Jr. for the most on a card in track history. Coppola, the track’s all-time winningest driver, piloted eight winners on a November afternoon in 2008 at the Spa.
Hennessey also recently won seven races on a single program at Saratoga on July 1.
Live harness racing resumes on Saturday evening at Saratoga with action beginning at 5 p.m.
(With files from Saratoga Casino Hotel; Photo of Hennessey on July 1 at Saratoga)