In his second straight start, Starsel turned in an impressive victory winning the $26,000 Open Handicap Trot at Dover Downs on Wednesday, January 6 while defending track champion Tony Morgan racked up four wins
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In the feature, Daryl Bier waited until the half to pull Starsel to the outside and the Angus Hall-Super Sally gelding taxied up to battle classy veteran JM Vangogh and Tony Morgan at the three-quarters. Starsel then pulled away as the eight-horse field turned for home and breezed to a 1:56.2 victory. Spunky Vic finished second with Eric Goodell driving. Rose Run Flash and Mike Cole were the show finishers.
The win was Starsel's third of the current meet along with two seconds and a third in seven starts since the first week of November. Trainer-driver Bier owns Starsel with Glenn DelRusso and Charles Dombeck. The seven-year-old bay has now won $597,042 in his career. Bier made it two wins later guiding Brian Callahan's 15-1 Mac Atack Mac to a 1:59.1 score in a $10,000 Delaware Claiming trot.
Roger Plante drove the first of two winners in a $10,000 Male pace guiding Jeff Bartels' Athendoftheday N home in 1:55.2. Eli Scott conditions the Day In A Life-Andrew's Song gelding. Ted Or Alive (Corey Callahan) held off Xlb Joker (Vince Copeland) for place honors.
Among Tony Morgan's four winners were winning both ends of a 1 & 1 daily double. Debbie Rende's Wheelman Hanover won the first in 1:59.1 and then Cathy Banks' Trottin DJ posted a 1:59.4 wire-to-wire win in the second race.
The longest price on the program came when Scott Woogen's Winsmith Kirby, driven by John Wagner, off at 38-1 odds, opened up a big lead in the stretch on the way to posting a 1:57 victory in a $10,000 Claiming pace.
Tony Morgan's four wins were followed by doubles turned in by Roger Plante, Daryl Bier and Corey Callahan.
(Dover Downs)