DOVER, Del.— Gural Hanover came out of third as the nine-horse harness racing field swung for home and hustled home in 1:54.3 to win the $21,000 Open Handicap trot Wednesday, March 22 at Dover Downs. Hollywood Highway notched his third win of the season in the $15,000 secondary feature. Tony Morgan scored his second straight four-win day.
Morgan was contend to wait in third as Tough Mac (Corey Callahan) led from the start with Wind Of The North (Sean Bier) second until the final turn when Gural Hanover went into action to quickly take the lead as Sean Bier backed out to give chase in the lane. Gural Hanover and Morgan were best in the stretch for the Crazed-Givemearing gelding won for the first time this year in his second start for trainer Ron Burke and owners Little E &Panhellenic and Burke Racing.
It was win number 15 for the six-year-old who now has won $797,074 in his career. Wind Of The North finished second with Il Mago (Jonathan Roberts) third.
Tom Dillon's Hollywood Highway scored a wire-to-wire 1:56 success in a $15,000 4&5-Year-Old Winners-Over trot with Tim Tetrick at the controls. Celebrity Pegasus (Art Stafford Jr.) sat outside of the winner from mid-backstretch until the late in the homestretch/ Bluebird Reverend (Montrell Teague) closed strongly to finish third in the photo finish. The victory was the third in five 2017 appearances for the Muscle Massive-LA Freeway gelding who now has won $185,519 lifetime.
Owner-trainer Bobby Glassmeyer's Streamsong came on in the stretch to record a 1:56.1 triumph in another $13,500 trot for young horses. United Bi (George Dennis) was placed second with Cindy Lane (Allan Davis) placed third after Marley's Guy (Tetrick), who was second across the wire, was disqualified for interference.
For the second consecutive day, Morgan, who drove four trotters to victory, won four races. Art Stafford Jr., Tim Tetrick and Corey Callahan had two wins each.
LIMELIGHT BEACH IN PREFERRED, EMERITUS MAXIMUS, DELAWARE SPECIAL, THURSDAY HEADLINERS
Limelight Beach, last week’s $30,000 Preferred winner and Emeritus Maximus, looking for a fourth straight $27,500 Delaware Special Handicap headline another standout Thursday card at Dover Downs on March 23. First Post is 4:30 p.m.
In the Preferred Handicap, Ross Wolfenden get the driving assignment behind Weaver Bruscemi, M1, Wingfield Bros. and Burke Racing’s $1.2-million winner Limelight Beach who again will leave from outside post 7.Mildred Ventriglio’s Major Uptrend and Tony Morgan, led until the final stride and finished second last Thursday with Mike Casalino and trainer Dylan Davis’ Jet Airway, handled by Corey Callahan was a length back in third.
Rockeyed Optimist, owned by Perretti, Berkner, Battaglia and A&B Stable, was the race favorite a week ago with Tim Tetrick in the bike. Gary Ewing excellent New Year’s claim, Star Messenger, and Art Stafford Jr., steps up after a win last time. Henderson Farms’ Bushwacker, with Montrell Teague, should be a major factor, starting from post 1. Bad Gamer, racing for owners Yannick Gingras and trainer Ed Gannon Jr. is alongside.
Nine start in this week’s $27,500 Delaware Special Handicap. Emeritus Maximus seeks to continue s rags-to-riches story of from claimer to top class winner. Yannick Gingras will drive the winner of seven races and the last three-in-a-row for Don Marine and Brent Hall from outside post 7. Leading the opposition is Art Stafford and trainer-driver Art Stafford Jr.’s Blazing Bobby Sox strong closer who was last week’s event winner. Reg Hazzard, G.F. Calloway and Legacy Racing’s Sweet Rock has been a close second in his last two efforts with Allan Davis.
Josh Green’s Poisonous (Ross Wolfenden) stepped up in class last week and was a strong third. The fast Remember Me VK, who fashioned a 1:50 win in January with Montrell Teague has won three of his last seven races for owners Sharon Wyatt, Robin West an Ron Benton. Im Supersonic A, racing for the Bier brothers, Daryl and driver Sean Bier, leaves from the rail.
In $15,000 4&5-Year-Old Male pace action, Rich Standsbury’s All The Cookies (Gingras) a winner of his last two straight; Bill Mears and Janine McIlvain’s Time Out I’m Tired (Morgan) and L&L Stables’ Velocity Stifler (Tetrick), both winners last time out, lead one sections. Owner-trainer Ben Stafford’s Cloud Speed (Vic Kirby) and Robbins Nest Farm’s Gallic Beach (Callahan), also fresh from wins, head a second division. The final section is led by Ken Wood, Bill Dittmar, Steve Iaquinta and Minisink Farms’ Big Place (Stafford Jr.) and David Miller’s Fashionbythebeach (Vince Copeland) heading a hard-hitting undercard.
Monday through Thursday live racing begins at 4:30 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays are ‘dark days’ at the track. Fine food is available while watching the races at the acclaimed Winner's Circle Restaurant Buffet. Call 302-674-4600.
Marv Bachrad