Faves Dominate In Delaware Stakes
Four divisions of the Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund Series went postward Thursday at Dover Downs for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings, with Henry The Dragon turning in the fastest performance in the second leg of the event.
Jim Morand hustled Henry The Dragon to the lead from Post 4 and together they sliced out splits of :27.2, :55.4 and 1:24 before sailing home in :28.4 to win by three-quarters of a length over stablemate Daiymir in 1:52.4. The Clyde Francis trainees were followed under the line by third-place finisher Art Of Fire.
The son of Custard The Dragon-Surveille Hanover, who is now 3-for-3 this season, has racked up eight wins and more than $140,000 in his career for George Teague Jr Inc of Harrington, DE.
James Isaac was a popular winner in the second division for driver Tony Morgan, who guided the Jim King, Jr. pupil to a facile victory in 1:53.3.
Second to the quarter pole in :28.3, Morgan had his charge on top through middle panels of :58.2 and 1:26.3 before getting him to sprint home in :27 en route to the win by 5-1/4 lengths over Rivers Crest. Whispering Witch was third.
Daniel Keeler of Smyrna, DE owns the son of Roddys Bags Again-Slide Home. The lightly-raced colt is now 1-for-2 this season and 2-for-7 in his career. Never worse than third, the pacer has banked close to $47,000.
Bags To Riches came through as the 1-9 favourite for the tandem of driver Tim Tetrick and trainer Jason Skinner in the third division. Tetrick got away second with the pacer before rushing to lead past the quarter pole. The public’s top choice led his foes through middle fractions of :56.2 and 1:25.2 before rocketing home in :28.2 to win by 8-1/2 lengths over Hallies Comet in 1:53.4. Olivias Grand Slam rounded out the Trifecta ticket.
The homebred son of Roddys Bags Again-Paint The Sky Blue has put together a 3-1-0 record from four trips postward this season for Only Money Inc and trainer Skinner. The seven-time winner has stashed away more than $115,000 to date.
Wake Up And Go got up in the final stride to capture the fourth – and final – division in 1:53.1 for the team of driver Corey Callahan and trainer Robert White.
Automatic Dragon and Stay In Your Place took turns on the lead through fractions of :27.3, :56.4 and 1:25.1, but Wake Up And Go rallied from a ground-saving trip to win by a nose over race favourite Automatic Dragon. Stay In Your Place was a lapped-on third.
Sent off at odds of 6-1, the son of Roddys Bags Again-Ima Early Riser won for the second time this season and for the third time in his career. The winner of $65,804 is owned by Charles Wimbrow and James Lunn, Jr.
Major Uptrend was a wire-to-wire winner in the $30,000 Open Preferred Handicap for pacers in a time of 1:49.4. Tony Morgan had the 3-2 favourite chop out splits of :26.4, :56 and 1:22.2 before unleashing a :27.2 closing quarter en route to posting the win by 1-1/4 lengths over Jet Airway. Third prize went to Limelight Beach.
Tim Crissman trains the 31-time winner who pushed his winning streak to three-in-a-row with the sub-1:50 score. It was his sixth win from his last seven outings. The six-year-old son of Somebeachsomewhere-Tricky Tooshie, who is owned by Crissman Inc and Niss Allen Inc, has more than $343,000 in his card.
Poisonous also turned in a sub-1:50 triumph thanks to his 1:49.4 tally in the $27,500 Delaware Special Handicap for pacers. Ross Wolfenden rallied him to the win by a length over Sweet Rock. Blazing Bobby Sox took home the bronze medal.
Pulling off a mild upset to the tune of 5-1, the five-year-old son of Art Major-Shes Poison is an eight-time winner to date – and a three-time winner this year – for owner/trainer Josh Green of Milford, DE.