Special T Rocks pulled a mile surprise winning the $36,000 Preferred/Handicap pace while Flying Instructor, Its Outta Here and Bail Money won Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund preliminaries to highlight Monday’s card
of racing at Dover Downs.
Daryl Bier became a two-time owner, trainer, driver winner piloting Special T Rocks to a 1:51.3 triumph in the week’s top pace out legging Bondy N and Ron Pierce to the fnish line. Early leader Warning Zone with David Miller was the show finisher. Custard The Dragon (Montrell Teague), one of last season’s top sophomore pacers, made his four-year-old debut and finished fourth.
Bier, who owns Special T Rocks with Forrest Bartlett and JoAnn Dombeck, drove the Rocknroll Hanover-Ladys Special four-year-old gelding to his sixth win of the year in 11starts with two seconds. An early season standout winning the Clyde Hirt Final and second in the Exit 16W Final, Special T Rocks has now won $120,930 in 2012 and $198,644 lifetime.
Catchmecullen A, after being close all season long in the Open class, finally made it to the winner’s circle closing strongly for Tim Curtin to win the $27,500 Open pace in 1:52.2. The Christian Cullen-Kimrena gelding is trained by Les Givens for Joshua Parker and Nanticoke Racing Inc. Winsmith Art (John Wagner) after showing early speed, finished second. Higher And Higher (Daryl Bier), the only mare in the event, raced big from Post 7 but had to settle for third place.
Flying Instructor, a Badlands Hanover-Daylon Flyer colt, won the first and fastest DSBF Colt & Gelding first leg prelim in 1:54.4 with Tim Tetrick driving for Niel Gargiulo, Louie Paglierani, Legacy Racing Of Del and Nanticoke Racing. Pop A Top (Ron Pierce) was second in front of Fast Back Eddie (George Dennis).
Ross Wolfenden steered Its Outta Here to a 1:55.3 victory in the second DSBF prelim. Greg Simendinger and trainer Eli Scott bred and own the Three Olives-Galaxy Girl colt to his first win in two starts this year. Redneck Fortune (Vic Kirby) and Im Lucky Again (Ron Pierce) finished second and third, respectively.
Joel Halpern and Only Money Inc’s Bail Money came through with a 1:56 verdict in the other $20,000 DSBF prelim. Ben Stafford, Jr. rein the Roddys Bags Again-Lees Best gelding to his second win in three starts this year. Chizzled In Stone (George Dennis) finished second with Sambad (Brad Hanners) the show finisher.
The second and final $20,000 colt pace prelim is set for next Monday, April 2.
(Dover Downs)