Saratoga Raceway starts 2019 race season

Veteran local trotter Cash Me Out (Cash Hall) made his return in style to the Spa on Sunday afternoon as the 2019 harness racing season got underway at Saratoga Casino Hotel.

The Kyle Spagnola-trained trotter has spent the majority of his career competing at Saratoga and on Sunday prevailed in the first Open of the season.

Phil Fluet guided the 1-5 betting favorite out to the early lead in the $12,000 Open Trot and the veteran high-stepper never faced an anxious moment.

Cash Me Out got the money, going coast-to-coast with relative ease, stopping the timer in 1:57.1 in the season's first feature at the Spa. Mandeville (Jimmy Devaux) finished second while Zagster (Billy Dobson) earned the show spot.

Cash Me Out's win, which was the 38thin 164 career starts, boosts his lifetime earnings to just above the $995,000 mark.

The 78th racing season is now underway at Saratoga Casino Hotel and features matinee race cards this week contested on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons starting at 12:00pm each day.

by Mike Sardella, for Saratoga Raceway