DOVER, Del. — Son Of A Sizzle and Joking Joey concluded 1st leg $20,000 Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund (DSBF) Three-Year-Old Male Pace preliminaries; Bandolito scored a 1:48.1 win, fastest of the meet, Jebswesternshark's 1:49.1 took feature race and Tony Morgan won #14,999 to highlight a giant Thursday, March 26 harness racing card at Dover Downs.
Vic Kirby drove Sonofa Sizzle to a 1:53.3 victory in the first of two $20,000 DSBF pelims notching his fifth win in 11 career starts and $125,516 earnings for the Life Sizzles – JK Lady Like colt trained by Josh Green for Floridian Mike White.
KJ Ben (Tim Tetrick) finished second in from of Art Season (Allan Davis).
Howard Taylor's Smoking Joey and Brett Miller took care of the second $20,000 division scoring a lifetime best 1:53.3 for his sixth lifetime win in nine starts and jacking his career bankroll to $73,750. Doug Lewis conditions to Riggins-You Don't Know Me gelding. Roddy's Hot Again (George Dennis) edged Byby Landon (Tetrick) for second-place.
Next week, all four DSBF sophomore division move to the 2nd and final $20,000 leg of prelims. The top eight in each division return the following week for $100,000 finals.
Bandolito, who set the track record of 1:48 last Spring, came with one-fifth of a second of duplicating the clocking in a $17,000 4&5-Year-Old Open pace. Owner, trainer, driver Daryl Bier sent the Ponder-Sody's Home Brew five-year-old away to a :25.3 opening panel and closed his mile in :27.2 to record his third win of the Campaign. It was his 17th lifetime win good for $318,785 in purses. Scalped (Monrell Teague) was runner-up. Ballinrobe (Allan Davis) secured third spot.
One race later another sub-150 performance, a career best 1:49.1 for veteran Jebswesternshark. The 10-year-old altered son of Western Hanover from the standout mare Shake Away was purchased last year by Frank Chick. The veteran began his ascent through the ranks from the $15,000 claiming ranks to a multiple top class winner at Dover Downs. George Dennis took the lead at the start and never was headed in the victory. Just A Jolt (Vic Kirby) closed strongly to finish second with Handsome Henry K (Brett Miller) third.
Monday through Thursday racing starts at 4:30 p.m. There is no live racing on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. The Dover Downs 46th season comes to a close on April 9.
Now on Thursdays, only, there is a 'two-for-one entree special' in the Winner's Circle Restaurant. Each race day, reservations are suggested for those choosing to dine while watching live racing. Call 302-674-4600.
There is no charge for parking or for admission at Dover Downs. Simulcasting of leading harness and thoroughbred racing from 12 Noon to 12 Midnight in the Dover Downs Racing and Sports Book.
Marv Bachrad