by Mike Sardella, for Saratoga Casino Hotel
Saratoga Springs, NY — Tempus Seelster (Big Jim) did what only one mare had been able to do in the last two months at Saratoga Casino Hotel when on Friday night (May 18) the 5-year-old distaffer beat Spreester in the local Fillies and Mares Open.
Melissa Simser-Iovino photo
Tempus Seelster scored in 1:53.1 in the Friday feature.
Spreester had won five of her six starts in the regular Friday feature before being assigned post seven in Friday’s $14,500 installment. The Jim Nickerson-trained Tempus Seelster had been a beaten favorite in three of Spreester’s Open wins and was the public’s 8-5 second choice in the wagering on Friday as she was again tasked with defeating the track’s top pacing mare.
Tempus Seelster grabbed an easy lead and coasted through a comfortable first half in :57.3 before any of her rivals made a significant move towards her. By the time her opponents were in gear, Tempus Seelster was poised to pace a :27.3 third quarter and a final half in :55.3 en route to victory in 1:53.1 on a beautiful spring night in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
Spreester (Frank Coppola Jr.) was still last heading towards three-quarters and though she unleashed a surge in the final eighth of a mile, came up third best. Longshot Squeeze This (Brett Crawford) finished second in the feature and returned a hefty $92.50 to place.
Tempus Seelster is now a three-time winner of the Open this season to go along with four second-place finishes in the Friday feature in 2018.
Live racing continues on Saturday night at Saratoga with a first post time of 6:45 p.m.