Harness racing's Grand Circuit three-year-olds renewed rivalries on Thursday, Nov. 12 at Bally's Dover in the Matron Stakes, with the four total divisions totalling $739,789 in purses.

Diabolic Hill, fresh off his lifetime-best 1:50.4 victory in the Breeders Crown, scored the third graded stakes triumph of his career in the $174,930 Grade 2 Matron for sophomore male trotters, keeping a challenge from Ai 1-3/4 lengths at bay.

With Todd McCarthy at the lines, Diabolic Hill yielded to Minoan (Andy McCarthy) for a pocket ride through a :27 first quarter. After Ai (Dexter Dunn) briefly pushed to the lead, Diabolic Hill emerged from third to take charge with a lap to go, and the Muscle Hill-Crysti Dream colt faced nary a challenge through middle splits of :55.1 and 1:23.2 before edging clear of Ai in the final yards of a 1:51.2 mile. Minoan finished third, another 2-1/2 lengths behind.

Trainer Annie Stoebe co-owns Diabolic Hill, who paid $2.10 to win as the 1-9 favourite, with Mario Mazza and AC Crawford Racing Stable. Now a nine-time winner in 22 career outings, Diabolic Hill has banked $1,595,913.

Two other millionaires claimed victory in their respective Matron divisions: Loua Dipa, who led a Ron Burke-trained exactor in the $145,070 Matron for pacing fillies, and Pepsi North America Cup champ Odds On Mr Mamba, who moved back into the spotlight in the $175,775 Hap Hansen Matron, for male pacers.

Loua Dipa, who earlier this year won the Grade 1 Fan Hanover and Jugette, was one of three fillies to contest a :25.4 first quarter before driver Ronnie Wrenn Jr. backed her off to stalk from third with a lap to go and Be Perfect Bg (Todd McCarthy) surged to the fore at the end of a scorching :53 half mile. Upon reaching the backstretch, Loua Dipa was flushed first-over by stablemate Shes A Bulldog (Gingras), and the Sweet Lou-Looksgoodinaromper filly turned on the jets to overpower Be Perfect Bg before the 1:20.3 three-quarters.

Turning for home, Shes A Bulldog continued off cover to take aim at the lead, but Loua Dipa proved resolute and prevailed by a half-length in 1:49.2. Say Goodnight (Tim Tetrick) followed a live tow into third.

Loua Dipa, who competes as a homebred for Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC, paid $3.40 to win as the 3-5 favourite. The Matron win was the 17th of her career from 27 starts, and she has now bankrolled $1,947,559.

In the Hansen, Odds On Mr Mamba and Dexter Dunn aborted a leave attempt in favour of a pocket journey behind 1-2 favourite Al Papi (Gingras), who cut fractions of :26.3 and :55 before bracing for a first-over push from Gentlemans Club (Andy McCarthy) to three-quarters in 1:21.3 and around the far turn. With Al Papi working to fend off pressure, Odds On Mr Mamba was poised to strike up the open stretch, and the Odds On Equuleus-Honky Tonk Woman gelding struck the front with 50 metres to go in the 1:49.3 mile before extending his winning margin over Al Papi to three-quarters of a length. Gentlemans Club finished third.

Melanie Wrenn trains 13-time winner Odds On Mr Mamba, who has earned $1,484,739 in 21 starts, for Odds On Racing. Off the 4-1 third choice, Odds On Mr Mamba paid $10.80 to win.

Rounding out the quartet of Matron winners was TLH Racing Inc.'s Custom, who rolled to a 1:51.4 win in the $244,014 filly trot.

With Jason Bartlett at the controls for trainer Petter Engblom, the Walner-Goldy Mary Fr filly took charge from Storybook Love (Todd Ratchford) just past a :27.2 quarter, rated middle splits of :56 and 1:24.2, and widened her advantage steadily through a :27.2 closing quarter to defeat Storybook Love by five lengths. Who Dares Wins (Åke Svanstedt) finished third.

Custom, an eight-time winner in 21 outings, has earned $603,396 in her career. She paid $3 to win as the 1-2 favourite.

Aeneas Doubles Up in DSBF Pacing Prelims

David Hamm and Frank Chick's Aeneas ($4.60) became the only two-year-old male pacer to sweep his Delaware Standardbred Breeders' Fund (DSBF) preliminary legs with a career-best 1:54.2 win over Hes Soaring in the second of three $28,169 divisions on Thursday.

Montrell Teague took advantage of a pocket ride with Aeneas behind fellow first-round winner Hes Soaring (Ryder Skinner), who took command past a :29.2 first panel and led through :57.3 and 1:25.3 middle fractions. Aeneas then dove to the open stretch and rallied to post his second career victory from nine starts by a widening 1-1/4 lengths. Bootcamp Baby (Allan Davis) was third. Jamie Sullivan trains the winning Highalator-Sequoia Seelster gelding, who has now earned $70,179.

Lifetime bests were also taken in the other two DSBF divisions, with the winners also posting upsets.

Blue Jays Watchin ($73.20) emerged from the pocket 90 metres from home and lifted to just edge out 1-9 favourite Hawaiian Warfare (Mike Cole) by a head in 1:53.4 in the final split. Tony Morgan drove the Hes Watching-Nf Salsa gelding to his fourth career win in eight outings for trainer Daniel Gassien and owner Richard Havens.

Dms Delight ($21.60) made every pole a winning one and parried a late lunge from the first-over Never Fold (Pat Berry) by a neck for a 1:57.4 score in the first division. Brandon Givens drove the Highalator-Cashmeres Delight gelding to his second career win in seven attempts for trainer Les Givens and owner/breeder Donna Messick.

The top eight point earners from both preliminary rounds will convene for the $110,000 USD series final next Thursday, Nov. 19. They are: Aeneas, Hawaiian Warfare, Hes Soaring, Blue Jays Watchin, Dms Delight, Bootcamp Baby, See Jack Run and Earls Watching.

Muskateer Hanover Returns, Prevails In Blue Hen

Muskateer Hanover ($4.60) made his first start in Delaware since March a winning one, rallying up the open stretch to nab 3-5 pacesetter Wehadababyetzaboy for a 1:51.1 score in the $38,732 Blue Hen Open Handicap Pace.

Tim Tetrick protected the pocket with Muskateer Hanover as Wehadababyetzaboy (Givens) pushed forward from post eight to control splits of :26.3, :54.3 and 1:22 and worked to fend off a first-over challenge from Stevens Saloon (Jason Thompson) through the far turn. Muskateer Hanover tracked through the bend before tipping inside in mid-stretch to reel in Wehadababyetzaboy by a neck. Back Pocket Miki (Cole) lifted off cover to narrowly collar Stevens Saloon for third.

Jason Johnson trains Muskateer Hanover, a six-year-old son of Sweet Lou-Marinade Hanover, for Calcutta Stable LLC. The gelding recorded the 32nd win of his career in 105 starts and raised his bankroll to $1,003,462.

Ridin The Waves ($2.60) kept his winning streak afloat with a 1:50.4 victory in a $26,056 event for horses and geldings with a $49,296 claiming tag. The four-year-old Downbytheseaside-Takealilridewithme gelding swooped to command from third after a :26.4 first quarter, rattled off middle splits of :54.3 and 1:22.2, and resisted Sir Charles Of Sky (Jason Lynch) in the lane for a half-length score. Kimble A (Tetrick) was third. Tony Morgan piloted the winner, now 14-for-46 lifetime with $172,535 in earnings, for trainer Daniel Munson, who shares ownership with Penelope Morgan. Ridin The Waves has scored nine straight victories while climbing the claiming ranks, having arrived at the current level last week.

Racing returns to Bally's Dover on Monday with a 15-race card due to begin at 4:30 p.m. (EST).

(With files from Bally's Dover; photos clockwise from top left of Diabolic Hill, Loua Dipa, Custom and Odds On Mr Mamba)