DOVER, Del.—For the third straight time and fourth this meet, owner-trainer Bryan Truitt's Enhance Your Mind turned in an impressive harness racing victory to win the Tuesday, Jan. 10 feature at Dover Downs.
After winning eight races and nearly $100,000 in 2016, her first real year of racing, Enhance Your Mind turned back eight rivals in the $15,500 Mares Winners-Over Handicap with a lifetime best 1:50.2 score on another cold night. With regular driver Vic Kirby in the sulky, the five-year-old daughter of Riggins-Enhance The Night chalked up her 10 career victory lifting her lifetime earnings to $114,290. Nat A Virgin (Corey Callahan) was runner-up with Velocity Lana (Yannick Gingras) third.
Meet leading driver Vic Kirby had three winners including a 28-1 shot Ailsa, owned by Jo Ann Schlotzhauer, in the 3rd. Trainer Jason Skinner also had three wins. Drivers Yannick Gingras, Tony Morgan, George Dennis and Corey Callahan, trainer Vince Bradley and co-owner Lou Catana made the winner's circle two times.
FROST FREE HANOVER LOOKS TO REPEAT IN $20,000 OPEN TROT
Frost Free Hanover came on from far back to win last week’s $20,000 Open/Handicap trot and this week faces Il Mago and Uva Hanover in the Wednesday, Jan. 11 feature at Dover Downs.
Rich Pollucci’s Frost Free Hanover has displayed a strong closing brush during all of her starts this meet including two wins and twice second and a third in his last seven starts. This week, Ross Wolfenden will drive. Returning to action is CC Racing’s Il Mago with Vic Kirby, who had consecutive feature race wins until his last outing. Again he will start from post 8.
Uva Hanover put in a strong front-end-performance with Tony Morgan last week before tiring near the wire. He finished third, beaten only be a length for owners Martin Sternberg and Stake Your Claim Stable. Mike Casalino’s veteran Tough Mac, handled by Corey Callahan, also has two feature trot wins this meet. The other starters are Ed Gannon’s hard-hitting Winbak Charles M with Yannick Gingras, I Like My Boss leaves from the rail with Art Stafford Jr. getting the drive for Bob Shahan and Jimmy and Amanda Parsons. Frank Chick’s Awsome Valley with George Dennis has post 2 and owner-trainer Antonino Buttitta’s Muscerene completes the lineup.
A $15,500 Winners-Over trot for 4&5-Year-olds heads the undercard. Celebrity Pegasus (Art Stafford Jr.), owned by Ken Wood, Bill Dittmar, Steve Iaquinta and Minisink Farms, fresh from consecutive seconds, leads a nine-horse field. Delbert Cain and Nanticoke Racing’s Go Byem (Jim Morand) was a game second last start. CC Racing’s Skyway Jaguar (Bret Brittingham) has won two of his last three. Owner-trainer Tymal Signature (Jonathan Roberts) third last time races for post 9 in the second tier.
Jim Moore’s steady Royal Becca J(Jack Parker Jr.), Steel Reserve gets an inside post for Chris Giaccio and owner-trainer-driver Vic Kirby. Inside starters are Barbara Kirby’s Myclaimtovictory (Ross Wolfenden), Howard and Josh Kaufman’s Drinksforthehouse (Corey Callahan) and Doggone Slots (Roger Plante), a winner last start racing for breeders Gregg and Tom Morris.
Weekday post time for Monday through Thursday racing is 4:30 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays are dark days. Parking and admission are free. Reservations are suggested for the Winner's Circle Restaurant’s acclaimed Buffet and for the 4-star Dover Downs Hotel. Call 302-674-4600. Top harness and thoroughbred races are featured in the Racing and Sports Book daily for 12 Noon until 12 Midnight.
Marv Bachrad