Former Woodbine Entertainment Group regular Tough Mac registered his fifth win of the Dover Downs meet scoring a 1:53.3 triumph in the $18,000 Open/Handicap Trot on a chilly Wednesday, Feb. 25.
Tough Mac held off a determined bid from Tirade Hanover (Vic Kirby) in the stretch to give driver Corey Callahan and trainer Dylan Davis a double. The six-year-old altered son of Lockkeeper-Traditional Lady won for the second straight Wednesday, after suffering his only non-win of 2015 -- a second-place finish early in the month, losing to Tirade Hanover by a neck. Wind Of The North (Daryl Bier), sixth on the last turn, closed with a rush to finish third in his first start of the meet.
Tough Mac, owned by Mike Casalino, has now banked $44,000 this meet. His lifetime record shows 15 wins and $174,337 in earnings.
On the trot-filled card, Kirby notched his fourth win on the program guiding Stirling Charisma past Deacons Valley (Callahan) in the closing strides for a 1:55.1 success in one of the $14,000 4&5-Year-Old Winners Over Trots. Russ Foster trains and Eric Foster owns Stirling Charisma, a four-year-old daughter of Majestic Son-Magic Charm, the only female in the race. Third prize went to Juanna Be The Man (Roger Plante Jr.).
Rosemary Smutz’s Man Of Muscle scooted along the passing lane to upend Jailhouse King (Ron Pierce) in 1:56.1 to win another $14,000 section. The victory was the third in a row for the Muscles Mass-Jims Girl gelding, who as driven by Allan Davis. Hey Pancho (Trace Tetrick) finished third.
Trace Tetrick and Powerful Charger overtook Enrico AS (Allan Davis) for the lead and then led the way to a 1:55.4 win in a $13,000 Winners Over Trot. Trainer Jim King Jr. and Tim Tetrick own the Powerful Emotion-Fox Valley Poetry gelding, who now has won two straight. Spunky Jack (Plante Jr.) was the show horse.
Jebswesternshake seeks a sixth straight win heading the $25,000 Delaware Special Thursday feature race.
(With files from Dover Downs)