A two-time Delaware Standardbred Breeders' Fund (DSBF) champion in his rookie season, Melvin G kicked off the December DSBF series for three-year-old male trotters at Bally's Dover in victorious fashion with an easy 1:57.2 score in the first of two $27,778 first-round preliminary events on Tuesday, Dec. 2.

Making just his second start since April, Melvin G and driver Tim Tetrick floated forward at race's outset and ended up third as Wolfpack Cheddar (Pat Berry) seized control from Delaware Xactly (Jason Thompson) through a :28.3 quarter. As Wolfpack Cheddar began to widen his advantage past a :57.3 half, Tetrick angled Melvin G off the pegs to begin a sustained push forward up the backstretch. The three-year-old E L Platinum-Jersey Punk gelding gained steadily to collar Wolfpack Cheddar with a 1/16th of  a mile to go and won going away by 2-3/4 lengths. Delaware Xactly finished third.

Les Givens trains Melvin G, a 12-time winner from 16 starts with $293,767 in career earnings, for Legacy Racing of Delaware and Nanticoke Racing. The gelding paid $2.10 to win.

In the other section, Chex Check provided the fractions for Montrell Teague, leading through :29.3, :59.3, and 1:29 splits before defeating the first-over Yale (Art Stafford Jr.) and pocketed rival Bucky Highway (Ross Wolfenden). The gelding, owned by MST Racing Inc. and Elizabeth Murphy, scored by three-quarters of a length in 1:58.2. Clyde Francis trains the son of Iron Mine Bucky-Judy Luns, who has won five times 25 races in his career with earnings of $118,743. He paid $8.40 to win.

Navy Blue took the overnight feature, surging late to win the $34,722 Open Handicap Trot.

Last Glow exhibited his usual quick early speed and breezed past the opening quarter in a brisk :28.1 with Indy Be Quick (Teague) in the pocket. Jack Parker Jr. took advantage of the single-file lineup, throttling the speed of Last Glow to the half in :57.2, and the leader maintained a comfortable advantage entering the backstretch. Victor Laszlo (Eric Davis) then mounted a first-over charge, followed by Navy Blue (Art Stafford Jr.), the 6-5 favourite, who gapped his cover as the field approached the three quarters in 1:26.

At the top of the stretch, Last Glow began to tire, and Victor Laszlo seized the opportunity and muscled past the pacesetter. But Navy Blue was charging hard in deep-stretch and got up to win by a nose in 1:55.2. Last Glow finished third. 

Navy Blue has now won three of his past four starts, all at the Open level, for owners Austin Stafford and F. Wyatt Starkey. Stacy Johnson-Stafford trains the son of Anders Bluestone-Overnight hit, who is 23-for-50 lifetime with earnings of $438,797. He paid $4.40 for the victory.

“He always races with a big heart,” Johnson-Stafford said after the race.

Corey Callahan, Teague and Tetrick each drove three winners each on the 15-race card

Sophomore pacing fillies commence their DSBF series on Wednesday, with 24 entrants split into three $20,000 USD first-round events carded as Races 5, 8 and 10 on a 15-race program at Dover. The card also features a $25,000 USD Fillies and Mares Open Handicap Pace. First post is 4:30 p.m.

(DSBF & Dover Downs)