by Mike Sardella, for Saratoga Casino Hotel

Saratoga Springs, NY — The Open Trot had its first dead heat of the season on Tuesday night (Aug. 22) at Saratoga Casino Hotel.

Melissa Simser-Iovino photo

Cash Me Out and Up The Alley finished in a dead heat in the Open Trot.

The $18,000 Open saw seven top-flight trotters square off in what would be the first ‘tie’ of the year in a feature at the Spa. Kyle Spagnola’s Cash Me Out (Cash Hall) was co-favored at odds of 2-1 as he made his return from a brief stint at Yonkers. Up The Alley (Muscle Mass) came into the Open off back-to-back runner-up tries in the local feature just a month after setting a lifetime mark at the Meadowlands.

Twisted Pretzel (Jim Devaux) may be having the best season of any local trotter and on Tuesday night got an easy lead over a track labeled sloppy. Twisted Pretzel went a first half in :59.1 before Cash Me Out came first over on him. As Cash Me Out was grinding it out first-up, Up The Alley was drafting with cover.

It was that tandem that swallowed up the leader late in the mile and matched strides right up to the wire when they got there together for a dead heat in 1:56.2. Yonkers invader Tober (Frank Coppola Jr.) earned the show spot while Twisted Pretzel had to settle for fourth.

The win for Cash Me Out gave driver Billy Dobson his third victory on the card. For the 5-year-old Up The Alley, it was his first Open win at Saratoga. Up The Alley is trained by Richie Silverman.

Live racing continues on Wednesday night at Saratoga with a 7:05 p.m. first post.