Saratoga Springs, NY – Lake Charles (Well Said) won the Open Pace three times in 2021 at Saratoga Casino Hotel.

Lake Charles won Saturday’s Open Pace at Saratoga. Melissa Simser Photo.

The Amanda Kelley trainee took the feature in two of the final three installments of it last season. Following a second-place finish in his ’22 debut last weekend, Lake Charles found himself in a four-horse Open on Saturday night (Feb. 12).

Leon Bailey sat behind the 5-year-old who wound up powering past former Saratoga Pacer of the Year Crockets Cullen N (Larry Stalbaum) in the early going. The Kelley trainee sizzled through a first quarter of :26.4 before reaching the half in :56.4.

The favored Hudson Phil (Billy Dobson) won last week’s installment of the $15,000 Open Pace and revved up the engine late in the mile on Saturday, but did just enough to come up second-best to Lake Charles who hit the line in 1:54.3.

Lake Charles, a winner by 2-1/4 lengths, returned $7.50 to win and led an exacta with the favorite second that paid $11.60. Crockets Cullen N finished third. The winner is owned by the Scheigert Racing Stable of Saratoga Springs.

Live racing resumes on Monday (Feb. 14) with a matinee starting at noon.