DOVER, Del.—. Jim Morand tracked down Apple Bottom Jeans in the stretch to score a lifetime best 1:51.1 triumph to win the $100,000 Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund final at Dover Downs on Tuesday, April 12. Springforth was also at her best in the lane to win the $24,000 Mares Open Handicap.
One of the finest group of Delaware-sired filly pacers lineup for the DSBF final. Apple Bottom Jeans, a winner of both the Harrington and Dover Downs $100,000 freshman finals last Fall wire-to-wire quickly assumed command this time nearing the half-mile post.
Driver Montrell Teague then led easily along the backstretch until Morand pulled Use Your Noodle, a brown daughter of Artsina-Gophobia, up to challenge heading to the final turn. The pair then dueled until mid-stretch when Use your Noodle finally got to the front along the inside notching her third straight victory for Henry Faragalli III, Art Feeney, Trevor Johnson and Nanticoke Racing.
For longtime accomplished trainer Les Givens who has been in the DSBF winner's circle almost two dozen times since the program began, he said, "This is the first time I've ever won the final with a pacer!"
Use Your Noodle now is three-for-four this year a winner of $70,920 and a six-time winner, with six seconds and a third her career good for $128,681 in purses.
Apple Bottom Jeans finished second with Eternal Ring (Jonathan Roberts) third.
Springforth, who has raced in every $24,000 Mares Open pace this season, recorded her third victory in the event, rolling down the passing lane with George Dennis in the bike to notch a 1:51.1 lifetime fastest victory.
Owned and trained by Jeff Clark, the six-year-old by Atiscape-Spring Morning won a mad dash to the finish line as four female pacers corralled 2015 Breeders Crown winner Divine Caroline and David Miller nearing the wire. Hostess Lisa (Morgan) closed on the far outside to finish second in front of Scandalicious (Roberts). Springforth has been 1-2-3 in nine of 14 starts in the distaff feature and has banked $66,840 this year.
The win was her 19th lifetime with $382,394 in her career.
L&J Racing's Tataria won the sub-feature $18,500 4&5-Year-Old Mares pace, with a 1:54 effort. Ross Wolfenden drove the four-year-old Four Starzzz Shark-Pure Prize bay to her third win of the season. Fashion Villager (Teague) was runner-up in front of Highland Black Ice (Morgan).
It was a big night also for several horsemen. Trainer Bart Darius started three horses for The Wiz Kinds Stable. Two- Girlofyourdreams and Beauty With a Beat which he also drove to victory, and another Call Me Cowgirl finished second while their top performer Table Talk made her seasonal debut in the Open but finished out-of-the-money.
Drivers George Dennis, Allan Davis, Corey Callahan, Ben Stafford, owner-trainer Jeff Clark, and trainer Ben Stafford had doubles. .
$100,000 DSBF Filly Trot Final Wednesday
The third of four $100,000 2 Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund (DSBF) finals headlines a strong Wednesday, April 13 program at Dover Downs. First post is 4:30 p.m.
The top eight filly trotters after two preliminary rounds collide in the DSBF final going for $100,000. Epic Smash and driver Pat Berry, winner of both prelim legs drew the rail for owners JCraparotta&PBerry Racing with another winner last time Winbak Farm’s Triple Bottom Line, trained and driven by Jeff Fout, alongside. Jane Dunavant’s homebred Cicada’s Song with Carlo Poliseno has been racing well with a pair of close-up second place finishes. Another prelim winner, Kevin Switzer’s Jasmine K and Montrell Teague must overcome starting from outside post 8 in the competitive final.
Don Marine’s Miss Baltimore handled by Tony Morgan is another with a pair of seconds. Iron Mine Branch’s Chestnut Chic piloted by George Dennis, Jane Dunavant’s other finalist Devlin and Ross Wolfenden and Stacy Stafford’s homebred Press Corp with Art Stafford Jr. complete the lineup.
In the penultimate card for its 47th season, a hard-hitting field of six fast trotters lineup for the $36,000 Open Preferred Handicap trot led by Gural Hanover (Andrew McCarty), owned by Weaver Bruscemi, Little E, Panhellenic and Burke Racing stables, has won two of three starts this year.
RBH Ventures’ War Cry Hall (Vic Kirby), Somebody AS (Tim Tetrick) has won two previous feature trots for Ad Stuteri AB and Kjell Johansson. Mike Casalino’s Tough Mac (Corey Callahan) appears back in top form. Frank Chick’s Awsome Valley (Morgan) leaves from the rail with last week’s longshot Spunky Jack (Roger Plante) closing with another second-place.
by Marv Bachrad, for Dover Downs