Byron bags first Open at ‘Toga

Aaron Byron has been impactful over the course of the last month or so while regularly competing at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The 40 year old finished fourth in the harness racing driver standings at Tioga Downs this year and has driven at the Spa over the course of the last six weeks.

Byron sat behind trotter Dealin With Dewey as that high-stepper won back-to-back Open Trots this month and on Saturday night, Byron recorded his first Open Pace victory. Byron owns, trains and drives Pirate Hanover (Captaintreacherous) who was the public’s 8-5 betting favorite in Saturday’s installment of the $15,000 Open Pace. The six year old pacer finished second in his previous try in the local Open and returned to Saratoga off a win in the Open Pace at Vernon Downs on their closing night.

Pirate Hanover was reserved in the early going on Saturday before picking up the cover of rival Tulhurstsantanna A (Shawn Gray) past the half-mile pole. That tandem swallowed up the race’s leader around the final turn and as Tulhurstsantanna A took the lead, Pirate Hanover kept plugging away until wrestling control away from that veteran rival in the stretch.

Pirate Hanover came on to win for the first time in the local Open and for the eleventh time overall in his 2024 season when he stopped the timer in 1:55. Tulhurstsantanna A was a strong second at 12-1 while longshot Little Willy came on to finish third. Pirate Hanover paid $5.30 to win and led an exacta and triple that returned $49.80 and $385 (on $2 wagers), respectively.