Southwestern Dream closed with a rush while Highbeam Rusty N was never headed winning the Monday, Dec. 19 co-featured races at Dover Downs

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In the $31,000 Open/Preferred Handicap Pace, Corey Callahan drove Southwestern Dream down the lane to catch the front-pacing Vlos (Tony Morgan) in the final steps and score a 1:50.3 triumph. It was the Cambest-Lady Of Art gelding’s second straight win and eighth on the season for trainer Bruce Saunders and owner Frank Bellino. The seven-year-old has now won 157,955 this year and $775,402 lifetime. Vlos held on for second with fast-finishing Dancin Yankee (Dave Miller) third.

Next, Matt Kakaley got Highbeam Rusty N away quickly and then cut every step of a 1:51.2 mile to win the $30,000 Delaware Special. Mike Hall trains the Artsplace-Nicky Michele gelding for Carter Racing Stable. The win was the seventh of the campaign for the $136,230 winner this year. Kiss My Art (Corey Callahan) flashed down the stretch to finish second with Eagle All (Ross Wolfenden) the show horse.

There were also two Winners-Over divisions on the speed-filled program. Ed Edward’s Volo won the first $16,500 edition in a career best 1:51.1. The six-year-old Capital Request-Moonlight Sammy gelding won for the sixth time this season. The Jim Popo trainee was claimed a year ago and now has banked $74,625 in 2011. Funny Deacon (Brad Hanners) set the fast pace and finished second. Malosi N (Dave Miller) took third.

Jim Behrendt’s Harlingen Hanover capped off the night when trainer-driver Roger Plante steered the Badlands Hanover-Hermosa Hanover gelding to his seventh win of the year. The $152,795 winner this year was followed home by Charger (Dave Miller) and Bad Rusty (Ross Wolfenden), second and third respectively.

Meet leading driver Cory Callahan had four winners including Nick Callahan’s 66-1 shot Mastermaker, a 1:53 winner in a $20,000 Claiming Allowance.

During a break in racing, trainer Janet Davis, organizer of the Horsemen’s Welfare Trust, and Dover Downs horsemen presented more than $10,000 in Christmas season gifts to needy in the Dover, Delaware area. All the Capital School District schools were represented in the drive.

The traditional one week holiday break starts Tuesday, Dec. 20 and runs through Dec. 25, Christmas Sunday. Live racing returns next Monday, Dec. 26. Then the weekly schedule is Monday through Thursday post time is 4:30 p.m. There is now no live racing on Fridays and Saturdays at Dover Downs. There is racing on Sunday, Jan. 1, 2012 at 5:30 p.m. Starting Jan. 8, Sunday racing will begin at 1 p.m.

(With files from Dover Downs)