The Matrons, the sport’s oldest major stakes, kick off the Dover Downs’ “Novemberfest” of stakes. Many of the top stables, trainers and drivers -- including some top Canadian-connected Standardbred stars -- will be headquartered at the track for two-weeks of Sunday Grand Circuit competition starting on Nov. 10.

All eight Matron freshman and sophomore divisions share the spotlight on the same program. Two of the divisions are split with one elim in the others with the first eight in each of the divisions making the lucrative finals the following Sunday, Nov. 17.

One of the headline events is a $53,462 Three-Year-Old Colt & Gelding elim featuring Dedis Dragon (Yannick Gingras), the upset winner that defeated highly touted Captaintreacherous last week at Hoosier Park; Ronny Bugatti (Jason Bartlett) who won the $450,000 Messenger Stake last Saturday for Prevost, McNeese and Haughton; Little Brown Jug winner Vegas Vacation (Brian Sears) a nine-time winner of $887,162; and Leber, Bertrand and Hudson Standardbred’s Sunshine Beach, fresh from a second-place finish in the recent Breeders Crown.

Some of the major names in this year’s Matrons include:

- freshmen pacing colts Stevensville (Ray Schnittker), McWicked (Andy Miller) and So Surreal (Tim Tetrick) and fillies: Ideal Helen (Marcus Miller), Beach Body (Brian Sears) and Ali Blue (Tim Tetrick)

- filly trotters Shake It Cerry (Ron Pierce), Struck By Lindy (David Miller), Scream And Shout (Tim Tetrick), and colts led by Nuncio (John Campbell) and Don Dorado (Tim Tetrick).

Among a strong group of three-year-olds are filly trotters Ma Chere Hall (Corey Callahan) and Southwind Cocoa (Tim Tetrick) in one section, and Time To Kill (John Campbell) and Thistle Dhu (Brett Miller) in another division.

The soph filly pace has strong fields. Somwhereovrarainbow (Montrell Teague), Summertime Lea (George Brennan), Jerseylicious (Corey Callahan) and Cheyenne Miriam (Andy Miller) in one division, and in the other there's Shebestinggin (David Miller) and Ms Caila J Fra (Andy Miller).

Smilin Eli (Tim Tetrick), Dontyouforgetit (Yannick Gingras), Crazy About Pat (David Miller), All Laid Out (David Miller), Possessed Fashion (Brian Sears) and Tirade Hanover (Ron Pierce) are part of a field of 10 in the three-year-old trot.

(with files from Dover)