Downbytheseaside will try to continue a late-season surge when he faces seven foes in Thursday’s $210,000 Matron Stakes for three-year-old male pacers at Dover Downs. The colt, who is harness racing’s richest horse of the year, is the 5-2 morning-line favourite despite having drawn Post 7.

The race is one of four Matron Stakes for three-year-old pacers and trotters Thursday at Dover Downs. Idyllic Beach is the 5-2 morning-line favourite in the event for female pacers, while Devious Man is the 3-1 early choice in the Matron for male trotters and Ice Attraction has received the 3-1 early nod for female trotters.

Dover racing will begin at 4:30 p.m. (EST) on Thursday.

Downbytheseaside enters the Matron Stakes off a career-best 1:48.3 win Nov. 4 in the Monument Circle at Hoosier Park. His time was one-fifth of a second off Freaky Feet Pete’s track record

For the year, Downbytheseaside has won 11 of 19 races and earned $1.32 million for owners Country Club Acres, Joe Sbrocco, Richard Lombardo, and Diamond Creek Racing.

On Thursday Downbytheseaside will face a field that includes Little Brown Jug champion and Monument Circle runner-up Filibuster Hanover, who is the 3-1 second choice from Post 1 with Yannick Gingras driving for trainer Ron Burke. Burke will also send Rock N Tony, Eddard Hanover, and Miso Fast into the event.

Chris Page will drive Downbytheseaside for trainer Brian Brown. The duo will start from Post 7, which has produced only four winners in 111 races during the current meet at Dover Downs.

“He seems as good now as he’s been all year,” Brown said. “He trained sharp (on Saturday) and checked out OK, so I think we’re ready to go.”

Downbytheseaside, who has battled issues with his feet throughout the season, won his first four races this year, including the Art Rooney Pace, before a third-place finish in the North America Cup. He was second in the Meadowlands Pace and third in the Cane Pace before winning the Messenger Stakes as part of another four-race win streak.

He then finished fifth in both his Little Brown Jug elimination and final and third in a division of the Tattersalls Pace. He won his elimination for the Breeders Crown and was second in the final before capturing the Monument Circle.

“The horse has actually gotten better,” Brown said. “He’s put on some weight in the last month and his feet the last month are better.

“He had some tough spots where things weren’t going his way and we could have easily lost him, but he recovered. I think it speaks to his guts and his durability. I just wish he would have been this good a couple months ago.”

Brown also trains three-year-old male pacer Fear The Dragon, who has won 12 of 16 races this season and is No. 2 in purses with $1.26 million for owner Emerald Highlands Farm. The colt was not eligible to the Matron, but his connections discussed supplementing the horse to the race.

However – after having battled health issues in recent weeks and having qualified in 1:53.4 at Hollywood Gaming Dayton Raceway on November 9 – the decision was made to sit out.

“’Dragon’ qualified decent, but he didn’t qualify great,” Brown said. “And for him to have to go against these horses, I think he has to be great. I don’t want to cheapen the horse at all. We’re still not a hundred per cent sure he won’t race again, but he’s not racing this week.”

The Matron for three-year-old male pacers is Race 10 on Thursday’s 13-dash card. Estimated post time for the race is 7:30 p.m. (EST).

There is no lack of talent in the remaining Matron Stakes. The field for the three-year-old filly pace includes six of the division’s seven richest horses: Caviart Ally, Agent Q, Idyllic Beach, Bettors Up, Tequila Monday, and Obvious Blue Chip.

Breeders Crown and Canadian Trotting Classic champion What The Hill, Yonkers Trot winner Top Flight Angel, and Kentucky Futurity winner Snowstorm Hanover are among the horses joining Devious Man in the Matron for male trotters.

Ice Attraction, the Kentucky Filly Futurity winner, meets a group that includes stakes-winners Thats All Moni, Cool Cates, On A Sunny Day and Dream Together in the filly trot.

This story courtesy of Harness Racing Communications, a division of the U.S. Trotting Association. For more information, visit www.ustrotting.com.