Saratoga Springs, NY — After an impressive 1:53.2 score in last week’s Winners Over for fillies and mares, Jewels Forreal rose to the Open ranks successfully on Thursday (March 21) at Saratoga Casino Hotel, moving out to the early lead and never looking back in the $15,000 feature.

Jewels Forreal was impressive in Thursday’s top distaff pace at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Melissa Simser-Iovino photo.

Sent off the 6-5 betting favorite, Jewels Forreal and driver Frank Coppola Jr. never faced an anxious moment en route to a wire-to-wire win in 1:53, the fastest time for a distaffer at the Spa thus far this year. Miss Irish Rose A (Larry Stalbaum) sat the pocket to the winner and finished as the runner-up, while Sally Fletcher A (Bruce Aldrich Jr.) had to settle for third.

Jewels Forreal, the daughter of So Surreal and back-to-back local Female Pacer of the Year (2007-08) Dandy’s Jewel, enjoyed a six-figure campaign in 2018 behind five wins. The 4-year-old already has two wins on her card in 2019 after her featured win. The exacta paid $27.60 while the triple returned $86.

Live racing resumes on Saturday evening (March 23) at Saratoga with a 6:45 p.m. first post.