DOVER, Del.— Scandalicious battled harness racing favorite Enhance Your Mind side-by-side down the lane before edging to the front at the wire by a head to win the Tuesday, March 4 $20,000 Mares Open Handicap at Dover Downs.
Tim Tetrick pulled Scandalicious out of fourth just before a :55.2 half and quickly moved alongside leader Enhance Your Mind as they journeyed along the backstretch passing the three-quarters in 1:23.1, still a tandem. Enhance Your Mind and Vic Kirby had a slight edge on the inside turning for home. There was little room between the pair down the stretch before Tetrick urged Scandalicious up enough to put her head in front at the wire in 1:51.3 for the six-year-olds second straight victory. Tim Tetrick had a four bagger.
The win marked the Scott DiDomenico-trained American Ideal-The Company Store mare's 24th lifetime win and boosted Scandalicious' earnings to $382,653. For Enhance Your Mind, it marked the end of a two-race win streak and was her first second-place finish after five wins in her eighth race of 2017. Sayulita (Allan Davis) finished third.
Barbara's Shadow chalked up her third consecutive success in the $15,000 4&5-Year-Old Mares pace in a new personal fastest 1:51.1 clocking. Driver Vic Kirby owns the Shadow Play-Bababababarapan mare with trainer Leigh Raymer and Brian Hoffecker. The victory was her sixth of the year in nine opportunities. She has now won $53,922 this year. Westluckycam (Tetrick) closed for second in front of On Your Six (Davis).
Earlier, Allan Davis piloted a 56-1 shot, No Shadows, from post 8 to victory in a Mares Claiming Handicap scoring a 1:54 triumph. LA Express Stable owns the Shadow Play-Ocracoke four-year-old who won for the first time this year.
Tim Tetrick had four wins, Allan Davis, Vic Kirby and trainer Jim King each had two winners.
MARKET SHARE, TOUGH MAC, GURAL HANOVER HEAD $20,000 TROT
Market Share, winner of the 2012 Hambletonian classic and Tough Mac, one of the top trotters at Dover Downs the last three seasons, and newcomer Gural Hanover, head this week’s eight horse field vying in the $20,000 Open trot on Wednesday, March 8 at Dover Downs. First post is 4:30 p.m.
Richard Gutnick, Blueberry man Bill Augustine and TLP Stable’s Market Share, won impressively last Wednesday and has two wins in his last five races and will be piloted by Tim Tetrick. Frost Free Hanover reined by Vic Kirby for Richard Pollucci, has three wins and a third in 2017 starts. Gural Hanover, a winner of nearly $785-thousand in his career and steered by Yannick Gingras, makes his first local appearance for owners Weaver Bruscemi, Burke Racing, Little E and Panhellenic stables.
Not to be overlooked are the rest of the lineup including CC Racing’s Il Mago with Jonathan Roberts; Leigh Raymer and John Whitby’s Buddy Hally, second last start for Montrell Teague; and from the rail, I’m So Striking, trained and driven by Eddie Dennis for owners Lois and Earl Walters and E&K Stable..
On the strong undercard is a $15,000 4&5-Year-Old Winners-Over trot led by Dennis, Johannsen, Holly Case and trainer Bob Reeser’s, Bluebird Reverend (Teague), a 1:54 winner last week, and Celebrity Pegasus (Art Stafford Jr.), racing for Ken Wood, Bill Dittmar, Steve Iaquinta and Minisink Farms’ Celebrity Pegasus (Art Stafford Jr.), both leave from the outside posts in an eight horse field.
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