DOVER, Del.— Wednesday is trot day at the track. Ron Pierce, who had six winners, dominated the festivities on March 4 winning five of the top trotting events headed by newcomer Tag Up And Go, a 1:53.2 winner of the $18,000 Open ending a two-race win streak by Tough Mac. Pierce drove Ragzzo Dolce to victory in 1:54.4 to win a $14,500 event, after Fitness Craze won a sub-feature in 1:54.4. He concluded his big day guiding Joyeux Dream, the 'king of the claimers' to a seventh win of the meet.
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Ron Pierce will be among the missing for the rest of the meet. He is scheduled for back surgery. The Hall of Famer is off to an excellent start in 2015. He is listed in the top 4 for races won and money-won in the year's standings. At Dover Downs he has driven 90 winners since opening day, good for sixth place in the standings only two win behind fifth-place Ross Wolfenden, who is scheduled to return to the races later this month after a family vacation to New Zealand.
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Joyeux Dream, a dominant $20,000 claimer, is the winningest horses at the track this meet with seven wins, one more than tough Open winner Tough Mac with six. Ragazzo Dolce has now won four-in-a-row. Delaware Hanover heads the pacing division with five straight. Movie Idol, winner of the Delaware Special (2/26) has won four in-a-row.
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Spin Vision, a Delaware-sired homebred, made it four straight trips to the winner's circle in the $14,500 3,4&5 Year-Old Mares Winners-Over Monday, March 2. Bred, owned and trained by Virginia Louthan, Spin Vision, only a three-year-old, was driven by Ron Pierce, setting a record 1:53.4 in the day's feature.
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Aaron Merriman leads all drivers in the sport in 2015. He leads Corey Callahan by five wins 139-134, through 2/27, Defending champion Ronnie Wrenn Jr. is third with 132 wins. Ron Pierce ranks fourth, 87, in winning drives. Ron Burke, is again, the leading trainer, in wins, 88, and money won $1.1-million. Dylan Davis have moved up to fourth among the top 5 trainers in North America with 32 wins.
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Seemingly perennial leader, Corey Callahan, has upped his outstanding driving credentials to 222 winning drives this meet, which began Nov. 2, 214. Allan Davis is runner-up with 119. Vic Kirby is now in third-place with 100 winners. Ross Wolfenden is fourth, with 92 wins. Ron Pierce, is fifth with 90.
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Callahan has the highest UDRS batting at .419. Pierce is second at .393. Vic Kirby is third with .283, Ross Wolfenden, fourth, '269. Allan Davis and Ben Stafford Jr. are tied for fith place in the standings with a .262 rating.
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Dylan Davis, last season's Leading Trainer, is making a late meet surge and has forged into first place with 48 wins. Doug Lewis has trained 45 winners. Wayne Givens, who has started the most horses,.211 and has won 44 races. Jim King is in fourth place among trainers with 41 victories. Nick Surick completes the top 5 with 35 wins.
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In trainer statistics, Amanda Payson has the highest 'batting average.' She has started 36 horses this meet with 15 winners for a tremendous .515 percentage. Eric Ell is next with a .439 UTRS winning 31 races form 110 starts. Vic Kirby has haltered 15 wins from 57 starters, good for a .419 rating, Dylan Davis is the only other conditioned over .400. He has won 48 races, the most so far, in 178 starts for a .410 percentage.
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Harness Horse International (HHI) annual meeting and awards presentation took place in Deerfield Beach, Fla. March 1-March 5 with Sal DeMario, executive director of Delaware Standardbred Owners Association (DSOA) representing local horsemen. The HHI awards went to: past president Gene Oldfield winning the Dominic Frini Person of the Year. The HHI Appreciation Award winner was Jerry Knappenberger, recent Ohio Hall of Fame inductee, a former Ohio Harness Horsemen's Association GM. Thr harness editor of the Daily Racing Form, Derek Giwner, received the Clyde Hirt Media award.
Marv Bachrad