Saratoga Harness: Bolt The Duer equals sires world record in Geritty Memorial

The management at Saratoga Racetrack in New York found out on Saturday night that when you put up big money, good horses come to your track and do great things. In the $275,000 Joe Geritty Memorial, Bolt The Duer took no prisoners in a track record-smashing and world record-equaling 1:49 clocking over the half-mile track.

Bolt The Duer charged off the gate for driver Mark MacDonald to assume command over a similarly fast-leaving Great Vintage. Those two sat close through fractions of 26 1/5 and 54 1/5 as Clear Vision got under way followed by stablemate Foiled Again.

Clear Vision went on to apply pressure to Bolt The Duer before settling in the pocket vacated by Great Vintage. Meanwhile it was a long way back to Foiled Again who struggled to go with the top pair.

Three quarters came on the board in 1:21 and besting the track record of 1:51 appeared to be in the bag. Bolt The Duer was put to a drive in the stretch and dug in nicely to hold off a game Clear Vision at the wire by a half-length.

Foiled Again finished six-plus lengths back in third.

The victory was the third in 10 starts on the year for Bolt The Duer, who has already earned $471,862 for All Star Racing Inc. and trainer Peter Foley.

The final time matched the world record miles set by Jet Laag (1999) and Ponder (2006) at the Delaware County Fairgrounds. Incidentally, Ponder is the sire of Bolt The Duer.