Four $20,000 Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund divisions for two-year-old trotters completed their second round of eliminations Wednesday at Harrington Raceway as owner Jane Dunavant and trainer Carlo Poliseno dominated with three wins, including a track record performance.
The $100,000 final events for two-year-old pacers and trotters of all sexes will be showcased on October 21, along with $20,000 consolations.
There were two divisions each for fillies and colts and geldings Wednesday with Dunavant's Cicadas Song ($3.40, Ross Wolfenden) turning in a dazzling 1:59.2 track record performance in the first split of the night for fillies, kicking off what was a huge night for owner Dunavant and trainer Poliseno. The mile time shattered the mark for two-year-old fillies (2:00.2) and two-year-old colts and geldings (1:59.3.). The Dusty Winner filly sat in the pocket throughout before surging by on the final turn and holding off Triple Bottom Line to the wire. Epic Smash set the fractions and faded to third. Cicadas Song improved to 4-for-4 lifetime.
The second filly division went much slower, but in the end it was another filly with Dunavant/Poliseno connections who would prevail. Jane Dunavant's Devlin ($38, Poliseno) prevailed in 2:04.4. The daughter of Dusty Winner led throughout in her wire-to-wire victory over Unique Rosa Lene and Unshakeable Peace. Devlin achieved her first career win for trainer/driver Poliseno.
The first division for male trotters went to Syl King, Jr.'s Chipoffthewall ($2.20, Tony Morgan) who was a front-stepping 2:00.2 victor over Mondello and Mr. Paul. Trained by his owner, Chipoffthewall completed a sweep of his DSBF eliminations. Sired by Master Lavec, Chipoffthewall has three wins in seven lifetime starts.
In the final DSBF split, another Dusty Winner offspring prevailed for familiar connections, as owner Dunavant and trainer/driver Poliseno notched another win with Elton J ($3.60, Poliseno), who hit the wire first in 2:04 over Chrome Master and Bosston Malibu. All three of Poliseno and Dunavant's winners came with Dusty Winner-sired horses.
Following the conclusion of the sixth race, Jim King, Jr. and Tim Tetrick's Powerful Charger was awarded a blanket as the United States Harness Writers Association's Delaware Valley Chapter's Horse of the Meet. In 18 starts, Powerful Charger had nine wins and made nearly $100,000 at the meet for trainer Jim King, Jr.
Wingus ($40.60, George Dennis) won the $16,000 overnight feature, the Open Trot, in a new lifetime best of 1:55 for owners Bill and Joan Venables.
George Dennis and Poliseno each had a driving double. Poliseno also had a training triple.
(Harrington Raceway)