A pair of Les Givens trainees completed a sweep of Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund elimination legs on Tuesday, June 24 at Harrington Raceway, kicking off a grand slam for the conditioner as a trio of $27,397 divisions for sophomore pacing fillies were contested on a muggy evening.

Bella Artiste ($2.10, Jim Morand) was an easy winner in the first division, carving out :29, :58.2, and 1:27.3 fractions en route to a 1:55.3 victory by 2-1/2 lengths over Mimosa On The Key (Allan Davis) with Mornin Merle (Jason Thompson) third. Bella Artiste, a Badlands Hanover-Arts Bid filly, achieved her 11th career win in 20 starts for trainer Givens and owners Nanticoke Racing Inc., Arthur Feeney, and Chad Tate.

Another Givens trainee took the final division, as Donna Messick's Little Miss Peyton ($2.10, Corey Callahan) won in 1:55, joining her stablemate in completing a sweep of her two elimination legs. The Papa Ray-Armbro Cashmere filly was a comfortable winner on the front end, providing :27.4, :57.1, and 1:26.2 panels in a three-quarter-length score over Valentina Station (Eddie Dennis), who was followed by Tilted Crown (Russell Foster) in third. It was the winner's 11th tally in 19 outings.

Jane Dunavant's Proper Lady ($2.10, Cody Poliseno) wired her second-division rivals, setting sectionals of :29.1, :57.4, and 1:26.4 as she notched her fourth career win in 16 outings for trainer Carlo Poliseno in 1:55.3. She was 2-1/4 lengths the best over Sweetpea Pat (Barton Dalious), who was well clear of show finisher One Hot Shark (Foster). Proper Lady, a Proper Respect-Sidney filly, finished second in her round-one elimination and has secured her berth in the $110,000 USD final on July 17.

Givens earned his third win of the evening in the $24,658 Fillies and Mares Open Handicap Pace, as Incaseyoudidntknow ($3.80, Morand) won easily in 1:52.3. The seven-year-old Always B Miki-In Deep Thought mare made the front after the quarter-mile and never looked back in her two-length win over Jody (Davis) and Western Secret A (Montrell Teague). Incaseyoudidntknow earned her 43rd career win in 125 starts for owners James Magno and Joseph Fonte.

Givens put an exclamation point on his quartet of wins as his trainee, Gooseberry ($2.10, Corey Callahan), completed the conditioner's grand slam in a 14-3/4 length romp in the 12th-race conditioned pace. 

Live racing will continue this week on Wednesday with a 7 p.m. post time. During the last week before the break, June 30-July 2, racing will return to the normal 4:30 p.m. post time.

(With files from Harrington Raceway)