Some of harness racing’s brightest stars of the sophomore ranks were in action Thursday at Dover Downs, as the Delaware oval hosted a quartet of rich Matron Stakes.
Caprice Hill, who experienced traffic woes in the Breeders Crown and settled for a fifth-place finish, was a dominant winner in the $149,000 Matron Stakes final for the trotting fillies.
Brian Sears picked up the catch-drive on the daughter of Kadabra-Bramasole, and he made the most of the opportunity. Spicedbourbongirl shot to the top and cut the quarter in :26.3 before All The Time popped out of the three-hole and rushed to the front. Once on the lead, that filly sliced out middle splits of :56.1 and 1:24.3. Sears had Caprice Hill on the move in the backstretch and she was pressing All The Time around the final turn. Caprice Hill kicked home in :28 to win by 3-1/2 lengths over race favourite All The Time in a lifetime best 1:52.3, with Non Stick finishing third.
Tony Alagna trains the 15-time winner for Tom Hill of Hamilton, Ont. The filly has manufactured a flashy record of 8-5-0 from 15 starts this season. The lion’s share of the loot from her Matron Stakes score sent her lifetime earnings soaring past $1.2 million.
Dayson won as he pleased for driver Yannick Gingras in the $178,650 Matron Stakes final for trotting colts and geldings.
The son of Conway Hall-Nerveys Taurus got away third while Double L Lindy and the parked out Sutton battled to the quarter in :26.4. Sutton worked his way to the lead and led the group through middle fractions of :56.2 and 1:24.4, but Dayson proved to be too much when he put heavy heat on the leader around the final turn. Dayson charged home in :28.1 to win by three-quarters of a length over the pylon-skimming Double L Lindy in 1:53. Taking home the show dough was Lagerfeld.
Ron Burke trains the gelding, who was sent off as the 4-5 choice, for Burke Racing Stable LLC, Our Horse Cents Stables, J And T Silva Stables LLC and Rossie Smith. It was the 12th win of the year and the 19th to date for the career winner of $665,860.
Pure Country also proved to be a popular winner thanks to her dominant score in the $148,400 Matron Stakes final for pacing fillies.
Penpal shot to the front and supplied the opening panel of :26, but Brett Miller revved up the engine on Pure Country and asked her to step out of the three-hole – and step she did. She brushed to the top and cruised through middle fractions of :54.4 and 1:23. She then used a :27.2 closing quarter to seal the deal by nearly three lengths in 1:50.2. The even-money favourite defeated Penpal and Blue Moon Stride.
Jimmy Takter trains the 20-time winner for Diamond Creek Racing of Wellsville, PA. She’s put together a 10-4-3 record from 21 trips to the track this season, and that’s helped lift her lifetime bankroll to $1,939,427.
Boston Red Rocks, who many thought had the tools to be a big player in the Glamour Boy division this year, finally broke through and posted a major stakes score in his sophomore campaign.
Tim Tetrick mapped out the winning trip for the Steve Elliott trainee, who got away fourth and watched Check Six blaze his way through fractions of :25.2, :54.2 and 1:21.3. Tetrick went on the first-over attack with Boston Red Rocks as the field neared the half, and together they chipped away before sprinting home in :28 to win by 2-1/4 lengths over Western Fame in 1:49.3. Race favourite Check Six faded to finish third.
Sent off at odds of 7-2, the son of Rocknroll Hanover-Mcgibson lit the lamp for the fifth time this year and for the ninth time in his career. Peter Blood and Rick Berks share ownership on the career winner of $1,073,063.