Gigfy stepped up to the plate and scored in his move up into the $14,000 Open Trot at Saratoga Casino Hotel on Monday (May 3).
Driver Alek Chartrand moved Gigfy to the early lead, but gave way to millionaire trotter Cash Me Out heading to the quarter in order to get a pocket trip. With the tempo tepid in lap one, the race did not set up for closers, leaving Cash Me Out and Gigfy to decide the victor in deep stretch. Gigfy surged in the passing lane and got up in time to record his first-ever win the Open Trot, stopping the timer in 1:58.2 to edge Cash Me Out. Gruden, the race’s favourite, closed to be finish third.
Gigfy competed in the Open Trot on a few occasions last year at Saratoga Casino Hotel and while he didn’t fare well at that level, he is thriving in the early stages of the 2021 campaign at the Spa.
Brian Mattison trains the seven-year-old trotter who recorded a win at the Meadowlands this winter after being lightly raced in the 2020 season. Last Monday, Gigfy dropped in class and went coast-to-coast in 1:57.3 for a decisive victory with Alek Chartrand in the bike.
This week, looking to repeat, Gigfy drew post seven in a nine-horse field in the matinee’s $7,700 featured race. Chartrand was aggressive in the early stages with the sharp trotter and forwardly placed him at the start. After the race’s favourite Stone In Love (Brian Cross) surged first-over into the lead, Gigfy followed not far behind and took dead aim on the public’s even money top choice around the final turn before reeling him in to score at odds of 4-1. Gigfy stopped the timer in 1:57.2 on a cold, breezy af