Saratoga Springs, NY – If Monday’s (May 1) first leg was any indication of what’s to come, the first installment of the Dr. Richard Frank Memorial Pacing Series could set up to be a classic.

A pair of 3-year-old pacers came into the series’ first leg with a combined 13 wins already on the young season and each member of that pair added another win to his tally on Monday.

Primo Uomo (Heston Blue Chip) has enjoyed a dominant 2023 campaign thus far and the Dave Dewhurst-trained pacer moved his record to seven for nine this season behind a front-running score in the $12,500 first leg of the Dr. Richard Frank Memorial Pace.

The sophomore was piloted to a 1:55.2 victory by Jimmy Devaux to hold off his race’s major danger William Hanover (Leon Bailey) and record the win. The Melissa Beckwith-trained Boozer (Huntsville) moved his record to eight for ten on the year with a wire-to-wire win of his own.

Boozer was leg one’s fastest winner in 1:54.4 this afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Jessica Hallett photo.

In recording his leg one victory, Boozer held off pocket-sitting Excursion (Billy Dobson) who began his season with a four-for-four record himself before coming up second-best on Monday. Boozer was leg one’s fastest winner as he stopped the timer in a lifetime best 1:54.4 for driver Brett Beckwith. The other leg one winner was Astaires Arsenal (In The Arsenal) who has also had the winning way this year and scored in 1:56.1 on Monday for his fourth victory in six seasonal starts. The 3-year-old was piloted to the win by Billy Dobson for trainer Misty Carey.

Live racing continues on Tuesday (May 2) afternoon at Saratoga with a matinee beginning at noon.