And One More Time staves off Sunlit Uplands for a dramatic score in the G2 Ballston Spa presented by STIHL

And One More Time, with Hall of Famer Javier Castellano aboard, doubled up on local stakes scores with a neck win over European raider Sunlit Uplands in Saturday’s Grade 2, $300,000 Ballston Spa presented by STIHL, a 1 1/16-mile inner turf route for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up, at Saratoga Race Course.

Trained by dual Hall of Famer Mark Casse for Charlotte Weber’s Live Oak Plantation, the 4-year-old Omaha Beach dark bay arrived from a frontrunning score in the restricted Listed De La Rose on July 17 here with Hall of Famer John Velazquez in the irons. And One More Time survived an inquiry to win the De La Rose and on Saturday – this time with Velazquez piloting the runner-up Sunlit Uplands – the connections again had to sweat out a stewards’ inquiry into the stretch run and a claim of foul by Velazquez against the winner.

Casse was relieved that And One More Time once again stayed up with no change to the order of finish.

“What was ironic is that Johnny rode her last time, and there was an inquiry with him,” Casse said. “I mean, she’s really on her game right now. I’ve never seen her so good. They had shots to get by her, but they couldn’t. She deserves to be the winner.

“This means a lot to Mrs. Weber and if it means a lot to Mrs. Weber, it means a lot to me,” Casse added. “She’s been part of my family for over 50 years. She was there [at the winner’s circle] and she was like, ‘please don’t take this away from me!’”

And One More Time showed the way through an opening quarter-mile in 24.07 seconds and the half-mile in 47.05 over the firm footing with Long Ago keeping close watch to her outside from second position while Sunlit Uplands saved ground in third to the inside of Segesta.

“I liked the way she went in the first quarter, 24 and change, and then for the half 47[.05],” Castellano said. “She made the lead and got a nice and comfortable breather. I liked the way she performed today.”

And One More Time persevered through the final turn as three-quarters elapsed in 1:11.46 to maintain a half-length advantage at the stretch call. Sunlit Uplands tipped out to make her run at the leader with Segesta spinning her wheels, while the Jose Ortiz-piloted Deep Satin made a run from deep while diving to the rail for a clear path. But there would be no catching And One More Time, who despite drifting out several paths late in the lane, had enough in reserve to see off Sunlit Uplands to score in a final time of 1:40.80.

Castellano, who secured his 5,998th career win, said he didn’t feel his charge impeded the runner-up.

“She drifted a little, but with the way she did it, she never interfered with the other horse,” Castellano said. “I never had any contact with [Sunlit Uplands]. I think it was the right decision [by the stewards] today."

Velazquez wasn’t as certain as his fellow Hall of Famer regarding the result of the inquiry.

“He [Castellano] came out enough to intimidate my horse. So, I had to put in a claim [of foul] and hope it would go my way, but it didn’t,” Velazquez said. “I thought I was going to go by her, until the other horse got to her and she just kind of hesitated going by her, so it’s one of those things.”

Velazquez said he had an otherwise perfect trip aboard the Group 3-winner, who was making her stateside debut for trainer Stuart Williams.

“I was right behind the eventual winner. I was going to stay behind them until they go, but then I couldn’t pass her,” he said.

It was another neck back to Deep Satin in third with Grayosh, Segesta, last year’s winner Ozara and Long Ago rounding out the order of finish. Play With Fire and main-track only entrant Scalable were scratched.

The improving And One More Time defeated her highly-regarded stablemate and eventual Champion Nitrogen to capture the Grade 1 Natalma in September 2024 at Woodbine to close out her juvenile campaign. She was away from the races until the following September there when she prevailed by a half-length versus elders in a one-mile optional-claimer.

And One More Time has returned with a strong slate of races over the past year, starting with a second in the Listed Tropical Park Oaks in December at Gulfstream Park. Her ledger shows a victory in the Listed Plenty of Grace over one-mile of firm turf in April at Aqueduct Racetrack and a three-length fifth in the Just a Game presented by Resolute Racing here ahead of her recent win.

“She had a very serious injury as a 2-year-old and most horses wouldn’t come back,” Casse said. “She’s come back and it’s not easy to compete at the highest level. It takes a while, and she’s caught on and is doing well.”

Bred in Kentucky by William Harrigan and Mike Pietrangelo, And One More Time banked $165,000 in victory while improving her record to 11-6-1-0. She returned $14.62 for a $2 win bet.

Live racing resumes Sunday at Saratoga with a 10-race card headlined by the $200,000 Albany in Race 9. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.

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