Celebrity Pegasus captured the $25,000 Open trot in 1:54.3, Tony Morgan moved to within two winning drives of reaching 16,000 wins, and Perseverance lived up to his name in the sub-feature at Dover Downs on Tuesday (Jan. 2), with temperatures again in the low teens Fahrenheit.
Art Stafford, Jr. drove both winning trotters for trainer Eric Ell and owners Ken Wood, Bill Dittmar, and Steve Iaquinta. Minisink Farms is also a part owner of Celebrity Pegasus, who chalked up his 25th career success and lifted his lifetime earnings to $309,910. The now six-year-old Andover Hall-Celebrity Athena horse took the lead heading to the final turn and was all alone at the wire in 1:54.3. Theresademoninme (Jonathan Roberts) and Royal Becca J (Jack Parker, Jr.) could not be separated in the photo for second place, resulting in a dead-heat.
On race later, in a $13,500 trot, Stafford drove Perseverance, a four-year-old altered son of Cantab Hall-Caviar Forthe Lady in a wire-to-wire 1:55.2 performance. It was his fourth straight win. Tribbett Racing also owns a portion of the winner. Miami (Vic Kirby) closed from far back to finish second in front of My Cherry Pie (Jonathan Roberts).
Previously, NF Happenstance made it two straight wins overpowering eight foes in 1:54.2 to win the $13,000 Winners-Over trot for trainer Carol Parker and driver Jack Parker, Jr. Veteran All Shoes On Deck (Roberts) just got up for second, edging race favourite Tough Mac (Corey Callahan).
Only last spring, NF Happenstance dropped a foal. In late summer, owner Jim Moore brought the SJs Caviar-Moira hall mare back to the races. This fall, she had two wins in eight starts, five times finishing in the first three. She wired the field last time out.
Tony Morgan earned his 15,998th win, guiding Donnie Darko home in 1:56.2 to win a $15,000-$17,500 claiming handicap trot. It was one of two winners for trainer Steve LeBlanc. Glenn Dyke and LeBlanc Racing own the Chocolatier-Afterglow Hall gelding. Man Of Muscle (Allan Davis) was the runner-up with Trust Fund Baby (Stafford) third.
Art Safford Jr. and Tim Tetrick had driving doubles while Steve LeBlanc, Kevin Lare, Eric Ell and owners Ken Wood, Bill Dittmar and Steve Iaquinta also won two.
Newport Sassy Invades In Wednesday Distaff Feature
Hard-hitting Newport Sassy takes on Divas Image and Enhance Your Mind in a well-balance field of eight fast females in the first $25,000 Mares Open pace of 2018 on Wednesday (Jan. 3). at Dover Downs.
Stable 45, Our Horse Cents and J&T Silva Stables’ Divas Image enjoyed a perfect two-hole trip with Tim Tetrick in the most recent mares feature. They caught Bryan Truitt’s Enhance Your Mind and Vic Kirby in the closing strides to win by a half-length in 1:51.3. Gary Ewing’s Sweet Bobbie, piloted by Art Stafford, Jr. prompted a fast pace and held on for third.
Newborn Sassy, a major stakes winner in her career, reports from Yonkers female features and will be driven by Tim Tetrick. Owned by CC Racing and JoAnn Looney-King, she has already banked nearly three-quarters of a million dollars. Legacy Racing’s Empress Deo, reined by Ross Wolfenden, leaves from the rail with Fred Hertrich’s Rocknroll Vision and driver Jonathan Roberts alongside. Mike Casalino’s Nat A Virgin, a winner of this event two starts back, will be driven by Corey Callahan. Joe Davino, Pat O’Brien, and Brad Shackman’s Keystone Riptide, piloted by Russell Foster will start from the outside post eight.
(Dover Downs)