Chillaxin Away is the defending champion on Delaware’s circuit for state-bred male pacers, but Goldberg is ready to try to wrestle the title from him.

The two horses are set to meet in Thursday’s (April 4) $100,000 Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund final for three-year-old colts and geldings at Dover Downs. ‘Chilly’ is the slight 8-5 favourite on the morning line.

Last season, Chillaxin Away won both DSBF championships for two-year-old male pacers, in October at Harrington Raceway and November at Dover, and was two neck defeats from being unbeaten in six races in the series. Goldberg did not race in Delaware last year, as he was instead pointed to the Grand Circuit. The colt was limited to only four starts because of a virus, but hit the board three times in open stakes action.

Chillaxin Away will start in Thursday’s final off of a half-length win over Goldberg in 1:51.2 during the second preliminary round of the DSBF. Both horses were winners in their opening-round races. Chillaxin Away will contest the final from Post 4 with Tim Tetrick driving for trainer Jim King Jr., while Goldberg, who has been assessed at 9-5 on the morning line, will start from Post 3 with Montrell Teague at the lines for trainer Brenda Teague.

“We think we’ve got a pretty good chance,” King said about Chillaxin Away, a gelding known as ‘Chilly’ around the barn. “We have to deal with Goldberg. They were extremely high on him. They had some issues, but now they seem to have him squared away. I’m concerned about him. We were able to handle him last week, but he out-drew us and is definitely a concern.”

Chillaxin Away is by Roddys Bags Again and is out of Shake Away, a mare who raced at the top levels of the Delaware circuit for King in the mid-2000s. Chillaxin Away was bred by King’s wife, Jo Ann Looney-King, who remains the owner of the horse.

For his career, Chillaxin Away has won eight of 15 races and earned $170,600. His past five starts away from the DSBF series have all come against fields with older horses.

“All of (Shake Away’s) male babies have been pretty good horses and this one is as good as any of them,” King said. “He’s stepped up pretty [well]. Like all of them, he’s got little quirks and little issues here and there, but nothing we haven’t been able to correct by the next start and go again.

“He’s a fun little horse. He’s got plenty of ability and I like his determination. His raw speed is really good; he can really sprint. For where he’s got to go, I don’t think there are any that can pace a quarter faster than him or anything like that. Barring anything really silly, I think he’s going to be OK in the final. He gets home in (:)26 and a piece after being first over, that’s pretty good anywhere you go let alone for a Delaware-bred.”

Chillaxin Away will not be doing a lot of travelling, though – he is not staked outside of Delaware.

“I’m a little bit stingy,” King said with a laugh. “I still don’t think he’s one of those. He’s just a really nice little horse. He doesn’t have the size to him, that was the biggest thing. He just didn’t appear to be stout enough. I’ve been close enough to it to know that it’s not very likely we’re going to bring one out of our backyard to (compete on the Grand Circuit).”

Montrell Teague hopes he can eventually return to the Grand Circuit with Goldberg. Teague bred and owns the colt, who is a son of Mr Wiggles out of Chausettes Blanche. The colt has won two of seven career races and earned $47,070.

Last year, Goldberg finished second to eventual Dan Patch Award-winner Captain Crunch in a division of the Nassagaweya Stakes and was third behind Captain Ahab and De Los Cielos Deo in his elimination of the Metro Pace. A virus knocked the colt out of the Metro Pace final and sidelined him the remainder of the year.

“I just turned him out because I didn’t want to ruin him,” Teague said. “He showed a lot of promise last year. I was very big on him, but you never know how they’re going to come back after catching a virus like that. I’m just happy he came back.

“(The timing of the DSBF) is kind of a gift and a curse. I wanted to give him a little more time in the field, but at least I can see what I’ve got. I staked him up pretty good to give myself options. The main thing is to see how he comes out of Thursday’s final.”

Teague is happy with Goldberg’s return so far.

“He’s a little bigger, stronger,” Teague said. “He’s a lot smarter, he’s quieted down a lot. Last year he was pretty rank and this year I’ve opened him up a little bit and it’s worked pretty [well] so far. He’s letting me drive him; last year he was a little more aggressive and didn’t really know what he was doing.”

The DSBF championship has been programmed as Race 10 on Dover’s card. Racing will begin at 4:30 p.m. (EDT).

(USTA)