DOVER, Del.— Spoonful and Luv Is Blind used different methods to 1st leg harness racing victories in Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund (DSBF) Three-Year-Old $20,000 preliminaries on Wednesday, March 29 at Dover Downs. Tough Mac used the passing lane to win the $20,000 Open trot. Tetrick wins five again.
Jim Morand and Spoonful came on strong after the three quarters on the way to a 2:00.1 win in the first $20,000 division. The winner of last November's $100,000 final bided his time in fourth place until pulling out to race alongside leader Political Energy (Corey Callahan) around the final turn then rolled on for his first win of the season. The Political Briefing-Sanctions filly now has won $114,512 lifetime for Delbert Cain and Nanticoke Racing. A Chorus Line (Jason Thompson) finished third.
Vic Kirby put Luv Is Blind right to the lead and never faltered en route to a 2:00 triumph in the second of two DSBF filly trots. Leigh Raymer conditions the Keystone Activator-Iluvulikealuvsong bay making her first start of the year, a first career win. Gogh Cinorita (Ross Wolfenden) was second in front of Ohtobetheone (Tony Morgan).
The DSBF spotlight is on a fast group of freshman colt and gelding pacers, Thursday. The 2nd leg prelims are set next week with $20,000 male trots Monday, female pacers Tuesday, filly trotters Wednesday and male pacers on Thursday. The top eight point-getters qualify for $100,000 DSBF finals during the final week of the meet, April 10-13.
Tough Mac, usually is a wire-to-wire winner, but in the Wednesday feature $20,000 Open trot, Corey Callahan got the Lockkeeper-Traditional Lady gelding fastest but when Gural Hanover (Morgan) took over, Tough Mac was content to face behind the leader and then closed quickly in the lane to score a 1:52.2 victory equaling his lifetime mark. Wind Of The North (Sean Bier) was third ahead of $3.7-million winner Market Share (Tim Tetrick).
Tim Tetrick duplicated his five-wins on Tuesday, two of those for trainer Scott DiDomenico, Corey Callahan had three wins, Tony Morgan and Ross Wolfenden had two winning drives.
FOUR $20,000 DSBF SOPH PRELIMS; BLAZING BOBBY SOX, EMERITUS MAXIMUS IN $30,000 PREFERRED
Bags To Riches and three George Teague breds, Henry The Dragon, Ain’t It Fun and Stay In You Place are program favorites in the four Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund Three-Year-Old Male Paces 1st leg $20,000 preliminaries while Blazing Bobby Sox and Emeritus Maximus battle in the $30,000 Preferred Handicap on a standout Thursday, March 30 program at Dover Downs on March 30. First Post is 4:30 p.m.
Breeder Only Money and Jason Skinner’s Bags To Riches driven by Tim Tetrick, puts a two race this year and four straight including the $100,000 DSBF Final in November, on the line in a $20,000 DSBF prelim. He meets two winners last start, George Teague’s Daiymir (Montrell Teague) and Wake Up And Go with Corey Callahan driving for Charles Winbrow and Jimmy Lunn.
George Teague bred and owned Henry The Dragon, a winner of six of seven lifetime races, all with Montrell Teague driving, leads off the card. Mike Casalino and trainer Dylan Davis’ Unbroken Vision and driver Corey Callahan is fresh from a wire-to-wire 1:54.3 last week. KDK Standardbreds’ Almost Cut My Hair, a six-time winner of 10 starts, leaves from outside post 6 with Vic Kirby.
Teague’s Ain’t It Fun (M.Teague) is 1 for 1 this year, a 154.4 score last week, leading the second $20,000 prelim. Dorothy Hock and Kathy Ricci’s Hallie’s Comet (Pat Lachance) won wire-to-wire last weekend at the Meadowlands. Cavalli Pazzi Stable’s Casino Director with Vince Copeland drew the rail while the fast Art Of Fire with George Dennis, is another contender.
The final $20,000 DSBF event features two Teague entries, Stay In Your Place (M.Teague) who won his first start last Thursday wire-to-wire for G. Teague and K&R Racing, and Rat Tail (Morand) also trained by Clyde Francis for Geo. Teague and Teague Racing Partnership. James Isaac (Morgan) is another fast adversary.
In the $30,000 Preferred Handicap, Crissman and Niss Allen’s Major Uptrend notched victory four in his last five races in this event returns with Tony Morgan.
Driver Art Stafford Jr. and his dad Art Stafford own Blazing Bobby Sox, a five-time winner this year and his last two in-a-row takes on Emeritus Maximus (Yannick Gingras) who ended a three race win streak last week. Weaver Bruscemi, M1, Wingfield Bros. and Burke Racing’s $1.2-million winner Limelight Beach (Gingras) and Henderson Farms’ Bushwacker (M.Teague)
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Marv Bachrad
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