After a powerful snowstorm dropped near 20 inches on the racetrack, racing resumes on Monday, Jan. 25 with a powerful 15-race program highlighted by Bushwacker, a three-time Open winner at The Meadowlands, returning to the $30,000 Preferred while Bad Boy Matt seeks a second-straight $27,500 Delaware Special, the handicap double-feature at Dover Downs.
After three consecutive Saturday night feature wins at The Meadowlands, Henderson Farms’ Bushwacker and Tim Tetrick leave from the outside in a five-horse test in the $30,000 Preferred, a race he won twice at the end of 2015. Speed Again with Yannick Gingras in the bike, brings a two-race win streak. Howard Taylor’s Major Uptrend, and Corey Callahan, led until deep in the stretch last time before yielding to Speed Again, to finish second.
Another winner last Monday, Adventure Bound brings a record of three wins in his last five starts, including another race in which he finished first but was found guilty of racing inside pylons in the stretch. He will be driven by Allan Davis. Another hard-hitting pacer, Rich Pollucci’s Dapper Dude, handled by Vic Kirby, has an enviable record of two wins, two seconds and two thirds in his last six outings and completes the select field.
In the $27,500 co-feature, last week, Reg Hazzard and Legacy Racing’s Bad Boy Matt (A. Davis) roared down the lane for a 1:51.1 victory on a cold night to edge Rusty Carter and trainer Doug Lewis’ Captive Audience (Callahan) at the wire. Meanwhile, Janet Hudson’s Just A Jolt (Tetrick), the race favourite, had to settle for fourth.
The rest of the formidable list of seven Delaware Special starters includes Max Walton and Greg Papaleo’s Mustang Art (Brett Miller), who won this event three weeks ago, Dont Ya Know (Ross Wolfenden), racing for Joan Dalphon and Eleanor Laws, Foulk Stable’s recent acquisition Sparky Mark (Gingras) and Frank Chick’s ageless Jebswestermshake (George Dennis) makes his seasonal debut from post one.
Post time is 4:30 p.m.
(With files from Dover Downs)