Trainer Rob Harmon only brings a handful of horses to Saratoga Casino Hotel to compete. When he does, it is usually Open participants that come to town for the veteran conditioner.
On Tuesday, Harmon’s Macheasy A (Mach Three) made his Spa debut and drew post four in the $11,000 Open for pacers. Jay Randall catch-drove Macheasy A, who went off at odds of 4-1 in his local debut.
The invader got a pocket trip behind last week’s Open winner Artful Way (Billy Dobson) and rode that one’s coattails in a first half paced in :56.3. Artful Way worked hard in the early stages of the feature but did get to back things down a bit in the middle half before being met with the challenge of Macheasy A around the final turn. When Randall asked Macheasy A for his best, the eight-year-old pacer made it look easy and powered past the leader to assume command and draw off before recording his first Spa victory in a mile clocked in 1:53.1. Macheasy A paid $10.80 to win and led an exacta with Artful Way second that came back $34.60. Lord Willoughby A (Larry Stalbaum) finished third and rounded out a $153 triple.
Macheasy A, who is owned by the Harmon Racing Stable of Milford, Penn., is the second Open winner of the young season at the Spa for trainer Rob Harmon after Robyn Camden prevailed during opening week of the 2021 campaign in the Fillies and Mares Open.
Trainer Gary Levine’s stable starred on Tuesday afternoon as well as the meet’s leading conditioner added three wins to his tally.
Live harness racing continues on Wednesday at Saratoga with a matinee kicking off at Noon.
(Saratoga)