Harrington Raceway hosted two $100,000 Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund (DSBF) events for two-year-old pacers Wednesday to close out the track’s 66th year of live racing.
The races were originally scheduled for Monday October 29, but were postponed due to the arrival of Hurricane Sandy. The stake events were conducted as part of an abbreviated non-wagering four-race program.
Rodney Long, Tim Hundertpfund and Joe Hundertpfund’s Hot Roddy (George Dennis) was a decisive wire-to-wire winner from the rail in 1:56 in the colt final. The Roddys Bags Again offspring asserted himself early and held off comers in his one length win over Quick Rod and Company After Six. Hot Roddy won both of his eliminations and has won five-of-six career races.
In the pacing filly final, Daryl Bier and Charles Dombeck’s Inittowinafortune (Tim Tetrick) was sent for the lead immediately from post seven and never looked back in her three length win over Bags of Stars and Seboomook Pandora. The Cams Fortune filly bounced back after a third place finish as the favourite in her second elimination. Trained by Bier, she improved to five-for-nine lifetime.
Also held were two $20,000 consolation events. David Hamm’s By a Time (Ross Wolfenden) was the colt division in 1:59.4 for trainer Richard Lewis. The filly division went to Ron Davis’ Grace Of An Angel (George Dennis) in 1:59.
The win pushed trainer Les Givens into a tie atop the trainer standings with his brother Wayne Givens with 43 wins apiece. It’s the first time known on record that there’s been a tie for leading trainer at Harrington. Hundertpfund finished third with 37 wins.
Driver Ross Wolfenden (191 wins) won his second straight driving title with a commanding lead over second place finisher Tony Morgan (122) and George Dennis (116), who finished third.
Racing on the Delaware circuit now shifts 20 miles north at Dover Downs, which opens Sunday, November 4.
(Harrington Raceway)