DOVER, Del. — After being idle for two weeks, Dapper Dude made his presence felt closing strongly in the $30,000 Preferred Handicap for a 1:50.3 triumph in the President's Day harness racing feature on Monday, Feb. 15 at Dover Downs, Due to icing conditions making racing hazardous, the 13th, 14th and 15th races have been canceled for the night.
Bushwacker, the leading money making horse of early 2016, piloted by Tim Tetrick, was cutting out pace and Mustang Art, the new season's second top money winner, driven by Sean Bier, was sitting second, Vic Kirby put Dapper Dude into high gear heading around the final turn and The Panderosa-Dress To Suggest seven-year-old chestnut began to pick off the leaders and rush by for an easy victory. Trained by Jim King for Richard Poillucci, Dapper Dude won for the second time this year in four starts with two thirds. The win was his 22nd lifetime lifting his earnings to $916,500. Mustang Art finished second for the second straight time after two consecutive wins. Bushwacker held on for third.
Yannick Gingras and Apollo Seelster proved best in the $15,000 sub-feature for 4&5-Year-Old Winners-Over Male pacers recording a 1:51.4 decision for owner Kapildeo Sing. Dylan Davis conditions the Camluck-April Three gelding who won for the first time in six starts this year. Totally Dreamy (George Dennis) was second in front of Skyway Gladiator (Mike Rossi) in a busy photo.
Sicily made his first local start a success as Allan Davis directed a 1:52 score in a $14,000 Male Winners-Over pace. Wayne Givens trains the altered son of Art Major-Capri Hanover owned by Reg Hazzard and Legacy Racing. Adventure Bound (Art Stafford Jr.) closed for second. Speed Again (Gingras), on top in the stretch, held on for third.
Brit Evans' Denslow Hanover, a Yankee Cruiser-Daughterofortune four-year-old gelding, drew the rail for Cory Callahan and was well positioned following Baby Kitty (Gingras) before driving down the passing lane for his first win of the New Year, a 1:53 triumph in a $13,500 pace for young males. Sentencing Memo (Russ Foster), the only sophomore in the field, was a strong third.
I Belong With You lighted up the tote board paying 35-1 to win the $20,000 Male Claiming Allowance. Jet Blue Miracle (Bier) and Arpeggio Hanover (Tetrick) were second and third respectively. Joanna Callahan owns the Badlands Hanover-Her Airness gelding trained by Alexander Rice Jr., who also posted his first win of the year.
Corey Callahan, Yannick Gingras and Montrell Teague reach the winner's circle twice each.
SAGE N, CHEYENNE ROBIN TOP $20,000 MARES OPEN TUESDAY
Sage N, a winner last week, and Cheyenne Robin, a two-time winner in 2016 lead a seven-distaff field in the $20,000 Mares Open Handicap, the top female race of the week at Dover Downs on Tuesday, Feb. 16. Post time is 4:30 p m.
Tim Tetrick made good use of starting from post 1 last week steering a wire-to-wire 1:52.2 over an "off' track for C.V.Iannazzo, Triple D Stables and JFE Enterprises. The Cheyenne Gangs' Cheyenne Robin and Corey Callahan returns after a week's repast with two wins in three local starts with a second by a mere nose in her other appearance. John McGill's No Respect, handled by Vic Kirby, also just missed finishing second by a neck last time.
There is plenty of talent in the rest of the lineup. Chris White's Fashion Showdown and Montrell Teague should benefit from a post 2 start. Hearts N Flowers, driven by Allan Davis for Bay Pond Racing posted a win two races back. Lou Catana and Vince Bradley's Matinee Dragon and Jonathan Roberts is in peak form. Jeff Clark's Springforth with George Dennis has also been at the top of her game with a win, two close seconds in her last four outings. No Respect driven by Vic Kirby finished second in last week's feature. She has a win, three seconds, a third and two fourth in her most recent races.
A $15,500 and a $14,000 4&5-Year-Old Mares pace head a strong undercard.
Marv Bachrad