After sweeping the summer Delaware Standardbred Breeders' Fund (DSBF) series at Harrington Raceway and making appearances on the Grand Circuit, Primo Maschio rolled to an easy 1:53.2 win in his $27,778 first-round split of the DSBF series for three-year-old male pacers at Bally's Dover on Thursday, Dec. 4.

The Badlands Hanover-Primadonna gelding went to the point at the end of a :28 opening quarter-mile for Trae Porter, clearing B Like Tony (Ross Wolfenden) and leading that rival through middle splits of :56.4 and 1:25.1. He then evaded a mild late rally from runner-up Lew Not Lou (Jason Thompson) by 2-3/4 lengths to win the pre-card non-betting event. Wyatt Earp (Tony Morgan) took third over B Like Tony, who faded on the far turn after gapping the pocket.

Walter Callahan trains Primo Maschio, who has now won 17 races and earned $482,919 from 25 starts, for owner Forrest Bartlett. The gelding has won all four prior DSBF series he has entered with only two losses in Delaware-sired company.

In the other split, held on the pari-mutuel card, TLB Racing's Shore Not Beach used a :28.2 first quarter to clear Maximum Luck (Jason Green) before putting up a half time of :57.3 and three-quarters of 1:26.3. The gelding accelerated in the stretch for driver Pat Berry to defeat Maximum Luck by a widening 4-1/2 lengths in 1:55. Big Hunk A Money (Thompson) finished third.

Traci Berry trains Shore Not Beach, a son of Badlands Hanover-Azure Deo who has won six of his 20 career starts and earned $224,742. The gelding paid $2.10 to win.

Stevens Saloon regained his winning form from October as he won the $38,194 Blue Hen Open Handicap Pace.

Muskateer Hanover (Allan Davis) and Itsrockandroll A (Tim Tetrick) vied for the front approaching the first turn, and Muskateer Hanover, the 6-5 favourite, won the early battle in a highly contested quarter of :26.2. Downers Delight (Pat Berry) pressed the early pace, then retreated to the pylons in third before the first station. 

Muskateer Hanover continued on the lead to the half in :55 and Stevens Saloon, coming off two fifth-place finishes, grinded first-up into the chilly air approaching the backstretch. Muskateer Hanover and Stevens Saloon raced shoulder-to-shoulder, and neither gave way as they blitzed the three-quarters in 1:22.4. At the top of the stretch, Stevens Saloon bullied his way to the lead, and he held off pocket-sitter Itsrockandroll A to win by a neck, finishing the mile in 1:51.1. Downers Delight finished third.

Stevens Saloon ($19), a four-year-old son of Always B Miki-Lasting Love, is owned by Richard Ashley and C. Michael Cain. Joseph Hundertpfund Jr. trains the gelding, a 16-time winner from 53 lifetime outings.

“He’s much better when racing first-over like he raced at Harrington," Hundertpfund said.

The second round of the December DSBF series for three-year-olds kicks off on Monday, Dec. 8, with a single $20,000 USD preliminary for trotting fillies carded as the fourth event on a 14-race program at Bally's Dover. First post is 4:30 p.m.

(DSBF & Dover Downs)