DOVER, Del— Tim Tetrick recorded his 9,998th career victory guiding Christen Me N to a 1:51 triumph in a $30,000 Preferred pace to cap an outstanding Thursday harness racing program at Dover Downs on Nov. 2. Poisonous scored the fastest win taking the $25,000 Open in 1:50.3 while Bettor Memories notched a 1:51.4 victory in the $21,000 3 & 4-Year-Old Open pace.
Jim King trains Christen Me N for Richard Pollucci who purchased the nine-year-old altered son of Christian Cullen-Splendid Dreams early this year after banking $2-million racing Down Under. Sunfire Blue Chip and Corey Callahan cut out most of the mile before Christen Me N following cover moved three-wide on the final turn and rolled home followed by Sweet Rock with Vic Kirby finishing second. Soto came on third for Art Stafford Jr.
Tetrick enjoyed a similar come-from-behind trip steering Poisonous to a 1:50.3 performance in the $25,000 Open pace for owner-trainer Josh Green. The win was the sixth of the season for the Art Major-She's Poison horse who now has won $113,628 this year. Sicili (Montrell Teague) was runner-up. Kid PK (Tony Morgan) was the show horse.
An inside post was all that Gus Dovi's Bettor Memories needed as Andrew McCarthy fashioned a 1:51.4 conquest in the $21,000 3&4-Year-Old Open. Nifty Norman conditions the 4-Year-Old Bettor's Delight-Allamerican Memoir gelding to his seventh win off the campaign raising his seasonal earnings to $125,110. Delaware champion Bag To Riches (Tetrick) was a strong second with JJ Flynn (Ross Wolfenden) third.
Robert Ginsburg's Sawbuck Hanover won the $35,000 Claiming pace with meet defending driver champion Corey Callahan in the bike winning the $22,000 purse event. Play The Field (McCarthy) and Reggiano (Morgan) were second and third respectively.
On the undercard, Tetrick annexed a 1:52.3 victory with Baileys Rock N, the second win of the night for owner Rich Pollucci and trainer Jim King. The New Zealand-bred gelding is a four-year old Bettor's Delight-Baileys Pearl, now two-for-two in the USA. Howard Taylor's bred and owned Mentira, trained by Curtis Daniels and piloted by Ross Wolfenden were winners in $18,000 paces.
As the horses lined up for the first race, Makenzie MC went down tossing driver Roger Plante to the ground and dragged him a short distance. The hurting driver was tended-to by the track medical crew and Plante was taken by ambulance to Kent General Hospital in Dover. He sustained cuts, scrapes and bruises and a hair line fracture.
Tim Tetrick had a diving triple, Jim King won two training races.
Enjoy live racing and good food at the Dover Downs Winners Circle Restaurant Buffet, each race day. General parking and admission is free. Top harness and thoroughbred races are featured in the Racing and Sports Book daily for 12 Noon until 12 Midnight.
Marv Bachrad