Wednesday night (Oct. 2) at Harrington Raceway was an evening of broken track records on two occasions as well as a milestone celebration for trainer Joe Columbo, who achieved his 1,000th career training win.
Legacy Racing of Delaware and Nanticoke Racing’s Melvin G ($2.10, Jim Morand) was the fastest winner of one of four $27,027 Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund (DSBF) two-year-old trotting splits at Harrington Raceway, and he broke the track record for his division with a 1:58.1 score.
The E L Platinum gelding notched his second straight score for trainer Les Givens as he trotted away from the field comfortably on the front. Wolfpack Cheddar was second with Royalty Star third. The prior track record was set in 2022 by Perfect Twenty (1:58.2).
Virginia Louthan’s Saints Design ($8, Corey Callahan) won the first filly division in 2:02.3 over Marino Bluestone and Royal Toni. The St Patricks Day filly was making her first career start for her owner and trainer. Marino Bluestone was second with Royal Toni third. Callahan had four driving wins on the card.
Don and Dave Wiest’s Perfect Suprise ($15, Art Stafford Jr.) was a 2:01.1 winner in the first colt and gelding division. The Dave Wiest trainee reeled in pacesetter I’m Not George late for his first career win. Burly finished third. Perfect Suprise, an E L Platinum gelding, was making his sixth career start. Stafford had three wins on the program.
In the second filly division, the biggest upset to date this season in DSBF action occurred as Linda MacDonald’s Buttoncandy ($146.60, Stafford Jr.) was a 2:05.2 winner over Holly Lou and Take It Easy. Buttoncandy, trained by Joseph MacDonald, is sired by E L Platinum.
In overnight action, Dylan Davis and Howard Taylor’s Naked Cowboy ($2.40, Corey Callahan) broke the track record for three-year-old trotters (1:55.1). In one of three wins for Callahan, the Tactical Landing gelding was full of trot on the front for trainer and co-owner Davis in his Harrington debut. The prior track record (1:55.4) was set by I Like My Boss in 2014.
Meanwhile, in the $30,405 Free-For-All Handicap Trot, Eric Foster’s Sinatra De Vie ($5.80, Tony Morgan) was a 1:55.1 winner over Miracle De Vie and Not For Moni. The Jason Skinner trainee recorded his 10th win of the season.
Trainer Joe Columbo recorded his 1,000th career training win in the 15th race with Ricardo ($3.60, Troy Beyer), who was a 1:59 winner for owners George And Tina Dennis Racing and Todd Stonesifer. Columbo has been a leading trainer on the Delaware circuit over the past 10 years and has won multiple training titles at both Delaware tracks.
Live harness racing at Harrington will continue on a Monday-through-Wednesday schedule with a first post time of 4:30 p.m.
(With files from Harrington Raceway)