Saratoga Springs, NY — The John Mongeon Sr. Memorial Trot returned to Saratoga Casino Hotel on Sunday (April 21) with three $10,000 divisions opening up the series as part of the first leg.

Pembroke Traveler kicked off the series with a victory in race four with trainer Mcgwire Sowers in the bike. Jessica Hallett photo.

Pembroke Traveler kicked off the series with a victory in race four with trainer Mcgwire Sowers in the bike.

Sowers sent his trainee to the top from post seven and the pair battled Grit Man (Brett Beckwith) for the top through the :29.4 opening panel. After that split, Pembroke Traveler found his spot along the pylons in the lead. He maintained his lead through the 1:00.3 half and 1:29.3 three-quarters before winning comfortably by two lengths in 1:59. Grit Man finished second and Packmia (Chris Long) took the show spot.

Autym Robinson owns the 4-year-old Pembroke Slugger-Pembroke Conifer gelding who posted his fourth win in 10 starts this season. A winner of $88,698, Pembroke Traveler has six career victories in 33 starts. He paid $6.10 to win.

Tacticland and Jim Devaux teamed up to take the second division of the Mongeon Memorial Trot.

Devaux shot the Paul Dudka student from post two straight to the front and the pair never looked back, maintaining a 1-1/2 length lead through panels in :29.3, 1:00.4, and 1:30.2. Delta Win (Brian Cross) posed a heavy threat down the stretch, but Tacticland held on for the win by a half-length in 2:00.3. Delta Win had to settle for second and Sum Kinda Good (Matthew Athearn) completed the top three.

Tacticland (Tactical Landing-Gypsy Wind) won his fourth race from 12 starts this year and fourth career race in 26 starts. The 4-year-old gelding moved his career earnings to $32,978 for owner Tina Rafferty. As the bettors’ choice in the mile, he returned $2.70 for the win.

Queen Indeed took the final series division of the afternoon with Billy Dobson holding the lines for Gary Levine.

Dobson and Queen Indeed left hard from post seven, getting caught on the outside in the lead through the opening panel in :30. After that split, Queen Indeed continued in the lead along the pylons. The 4-year-old E L Titan-Queen Of More mare hit the half in 1:01.1 and three-quarters in 1:31.1 before continuing on uncontested to the victory in 2:00.2 by two lengths. Sunny’s Rebel (Athearn) finished second with Barnello (Cross) third.

Queen Indeed is a winner of three races from eight starts this season and five races from 32 career starts. She moved her career bankroll to $57,926 with the victory. As the favorite in the mile, she paid $5.30 to win.

The John Mongeon Sr. Memorial Trot will have its second leg on Sunday (April 28) and third leg on Sunday (May 5), worth $10,000. The $25,000 final and $12,500 consolation will be contested on Sunday (May 12).

Discus Hanover won the $15,000 Winners Over/Open Handicap Trot on the Sunday matinee card from gate-to-wire.

Jim Devaux and the David Dewhurst-trained Credit Winner-Dancing Flames gelding made every pole a winning one through panels in :28.2, :58, and 1:26.4 before zooming home to a 2-3/4 length score in 1:56.3. Powerscourt (Mickey McGivern) pocketed to be second and Malibu Kid (Larry Stalbaum) overcame a parked out mile to take third.

Dewhurst co-owns the 7-year-old gelding with Philip Hale. In 10 starts so far this year, Discus Hanover has won three races and in 114 lifetime starts, he has won 44 races with $235,908 banked. He returned $5.90 to win.

Saratoga Casino Hotel resumes racing on Monday (April 22) for a matinee card featuring 12 races starting at 12 p.m.