Big day for Chris Long at The Spa

It was a big day for harness racing driver Chris Long on Tuesday (May 2) at Saratoga Casino Hotel.

The veteran reinsman recorded three wins on the afternoon including a pair which came in the matinee’s biggest races.

Racey Rach N (A Rocknroll Dance) scored in the Open for the first time at the Spa when she went coast-to-coast in Tuesday’s feature. Racey Rach N won an amazing eleven consecutive races upon coming to Saratoga before finishing second in her final two starts in the 2022 season.

Following a three-month layoff, the six-year-old returned to the track in February and quickly graduated up into Open company. Racey Rach N earned a couple of second-place finishes among her tries in the Fillies and Mares Open before drawing post five for her start in Tuesday’s $17,000 Open.

Long powered the Lisa Zabielski-trained distaffer out to the front-end and despite being used hard in a first half that went in 55.4, the New Zealand invader had enough left to win it by a length in 1:55.1. Racey Rach N paid $5.80 to win as the race’s 9-5 betting favorite. Fond Memories A (Larry Stalbaum) sat the pocket and finished second in the feature while last week’s Open winner Always Watching (Jordan Derue) earned the show spot.

RACEY RACH N REPLAY

Long also recorded a victory in one of the two $12,500 divisions of leg one of the Virginia O’Brien Memorial Pacing Series when Dance Ticket went wire-to-wire.

The four-year-old scored a decisive victory in 1:55 to register her third win in five seasonal tries for owner/trainer Robyn Mangiardi. Long completed his Tuesday hat trick when he piloted another Mangiardi trainee Deedee Didit (McArdle) to an upset score in a $9,500 conditional race.

Live racing resumes on Saturday evening with a 5:00 pm first post.

For complete race results, click here.

by Mike Sardella, for Saratoga Raceway