by Mike Sardella, for Saratoga

Saratoga, NY — Just Make Believe (Kadabra) made his return to Saratoga Casino Hotel a winning one on Sunday afternoon (Sept. 25). The John Di Stefano-trained trotter had competed out of town since winning the Saratoga Open trot on Aug. 9 and quickly rediscovered his winning ways in this week’s $16,000 feature.

Melissa Simser-Iovino photo

Just Make Believe makes his return to Saratoga a victorious one.

Jay Randall picked up the catch drive behind Just Make Believe who wound up first-over on longshot leader Palmers Pride (Mark Beckwith). The 6-year-old trotter powered past that rival and took over the lead turning for home before stopping the timer in 1:55.4.

Palmers Pride held second while Cash Poor (Jim Devaux) earned the show spot.

The top two choices in the wagering never factored in the race and Just Make Believe rewarded his backers with a win price of $17.40. The exacta returned $123.50 while the triple paid $578.00. The win was the 10th of the year for Just Make Believe and the third in the local Open trot.

Live racing resumes on Thursday (Sept. 28) at Saratoga with a 4:00 p.m. first post time.