Saratoga Springs, NY — A $171,000 New York Sire Stakes race for 3-year-old colt and gelding trotters was the feature on a Saturday night (Aug. 19) at Saratoga Casino Hotel that saw a big crowd on hand to watch the highly anticipated match race between driver Brett Beckwith and Thoroughbred jockey Flavien Prat.

Cecil Hanover posted a 5-1/4 length victory in a time of 1:54.3. Jessica Hallett photo.

The stakes race for sophomores went the way of Cecil Hanover, a son of Chapter Seven-Columbia. Trainer Ake Svanstedt gave the lines to Hall of Fame reinsman Wally Hennessey who powered Cecil Hanover out to an early lead in a sizzling first quarter of :27.1. After yielding to Chapercraz, Cecil Hanover wound up shaking free at three-quarters before overwhelming the competition late in the game en route to a 5-1/4 length victory in a time of 1:54.3. Spending Crazy (Luke Hanners) finished second while Some Kinda Crazy (Jimmy Devaux) earned the show spot.

The win was the fourth in seven tries this season for the gelding who is owned by S R F Stable, Midnight Sun Partners, Jorgen Sparredal Inc. and Ake Svanstedt Inc. Cecil Hanover paid $4.30 to win as the favorite.

The charity match race was contested after the evening’s sixth race and saw Brett Beckwith, who currently sits second in the driver standings at Saratoga this season, get the better of top Thoroughbred jockey Flavien Prat. Both reinsmen piloted 3-year-old trotting fillies in an event that has been highly touted all summer long.

Beckwith’s Cross Creek Samara got the better of Prat’s Foxe Ella who led for roughly a half-mile before seeing her rival cruise by before drawing away to prevail decisively.

Beckwith was driving for the Franklin Community Center while Prat drove for BCCA Faith’s House of Saratoga. All together the event raised roughly $10,000 for the charities and brought an excited buzz to the track which came from the big crowd who made it out to support the event which elicited a lot of crossover support from the Thoroughbred sport.

Live racing continues on Sunday evening at Saratoga with a first post time set for 6:45 p.m.