Favourites Dominate Matron Finals

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A talented group of two-year-olds was in the spotlight Thursday evening at Dover Downs, as the oval hosted a quartet of Matron Stake Finals for the freshman set.

Next Level Stuff kicked off the proceedings with a 1:53.2 triumph in the $147,600 final – a non-wagering tilt held prior to the pari-mutuel program – for the tandem of driver Tim Tetrick and trainer Jim Campbell.

Tetrick hustled Next Level Stuff to the lead from Post 4 and together they led the field through fractions of :27.2, :56.1 and 1:25.1 before using a :28.1 closing quarter to seal the deal. It was 2-1/2 lengths in arrears to runner-up Queen Of The Hill. Luv U Bye Click took home the show dough and Rebecca Clark, who was distanced after an early break, rounded out the four-filly affair.

Runthetable Stables of Montvale, NJ bred and own the daughter of Sebastian K-Nantab who improved her freshman record to six wins from 10 trips to the track. The clocking was a new lifetime mark for the career winner of $158,075.

Next up were the two-year-old pacing fillies on the pari-mutuel card, and Lyons Sentinel bounced back from a Breeders Crown loss with a dominant score in her $176,400 Matron assignment for driver Tim Tetrick and trainer Jim King, Jr.

Tetrick got away third with the 1-5 favourite while Lady Lou served up the opening quarter clocked in :26.1. Tetrick swept to the lead in the second quarter with Lyons Sentinel, and once she cleared she chopped out middle splits of :54.2 and 1:22.3. A :28-second closing quarter was enough to propel Lyons Sentinel to the win by 2-1/4 lengths over Perfect Storm in 1:50.3. Hen Party was third.

The daughter of Captaintreacherous-Tutu Hanover now owns a 9-4-0 record from 13 trips to the track in 2019 for Threelyonsracing of Brantford, Ont. The lion’s share of the purse bumped her flashy bankroll to $873,408.

Fresh off of his win in the Breeders Crown, Amigo Volo manhandled the foes he faced in Monday’s $181,600 Matron Final for two-year-old trotting colts and geldings.

The 1-9 favourite was hustled to the lead by driver Dexter Dunn, and together they led the group through intervals of :27.3, :56.1 and 1:24.3 before using a :28.1 final frame to win by 6-1/2 lengths over Patriarch Hanover in 1:52.4. Moveoutofmyway K took home third prize.

The 1:52.4 clocking knocked a full second off Real Cool Sam’s former world record of 1:53.4.

Richard ‘Nifty’ Norman trains the son of Father Patrick-Margarita Momma for Pinske Stables of Plato, MN and David J. Miller of Lake Mary, FL. It was the sixth win of the season from 11 attempts for the career winner of $700,233.

Papi Rob Hanover was much the best in the $186,000 Matron Final for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings, avenging his disqualification from last month’s Breeders Crown.

David Miller got away third with the Brett Pelling pupil while Cattlewash and Put To Right battled to the quarter pole in :27.1. Papi Rob Hanover shot to the top in the second quarter, and once he cleared he whacked out middle panels of :55 and 1:22.4. The 1-5 favourite then used a :27.1 closing quarter to win by 5-1/4 lengths over Cattlewash in 1:50. Father Nuno was third.

The clocking of 1:50 was just one-fifth of a second from matching Somestarsomewhere’s world record set in 2013 at Pocono Downs.

The son of Somebeachsomewhere-Panera Hanover now boasts a 5-4-2 record from 11 assignments. David McDuffee of Delray Beach, FL owns the career winner of $647,123.

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