Faze left from post six in the $184,861 Matron Stakes for two-year-old pacing fillies on Wednesday evening, Nov. 13 at Dover Downs and the daughter of Sweet Lou-Darlinonthebeach followed the pocket trip before succeeding at the wire over the favourite.
Tim Tetrick and the Nancy Takter student went off at odds of 7-2 in the featured race as they left swiftly from the gate. Rose (Yannick Gingras), the heavily backed favourite, left from post seven with equal intent for the lead. The pair of leading ladies duelled to the quarter in :26.4 with Rose pulling ahead to click the timer first from the outside. Rose settled in on the front from the pylons and Faze tracked her from the pocket.
After the half in :56.1, Pilar Hanover (Allan Davis) made her way up to second from the outside through the three-quarters in 1:24.3. Her efforts stalled, leaving Faze and Rose to duke it out towards the finish. Faze pulled ahead at the finish line to win by a neck in 1:53.1 while Rose had to settle for second. Lyons Benz (Corey Callahan) completed the show ticket.
Diamond Creek Racing, Farhi Standardbreds Corp., and Spreydon Racing co-own Faze, who won her fourth race in seven starts, lifting her earnings to $165,813. Diamond Creek Farm, Shmuel Farhi and Spreydon Lodge bred the filly. She returned $9 to win.
'Peyton' Wins Sixth Straight In DSBF Filly Pace
Donna Messick's homebred Little Miss Peyton rolled to her sixth consecutive win, posting a 1:55.1 score in the second of three $27,778 first-round Delaware Standardbred Breeders' Fund events for two-year-old pacing fillies on Wednesday at Dover.
Little Miss Peyton and driver Corey Callahan tracked a :28 first-quarter duel between Mornin Merle (Pat Berry) and Im Won Last Wiser (Montrell Teague) before brushing from third to the lead with a circuit to go. After being strung out a bit through a :56.2 half, the Papa Ray-Armbro Cashmere filly rated a :30 third sectional and began to pull away from her six rivals midway on the far turn. Little Miss Peyton handily defeated Mornin Merle by a widening four lengths. Immaculate Inning (Tim Tetrick) circled the stalled cover of Im Won Last Wiser to narrowly claim third.
Les Givens trains Little Miss Peyton, who has won six of her nine career starts and banked $141,334. She paid $2.10 to win.
Givens completed a DSBF double when Bella Artiste and driver Jim Morand scored in a lifetime best 1:55 in the third division. The Badlands Hanover-Arts Bid filly clicked off splits of :28.1, :56 and 1:25.3 before evading pocket rival Tilted Crown (Russell Foster) by 1-1/2 lengths. Banana Cabana (Tony Morgan) finished third.
Nanticoke Racing, Arthur Feeney and Chad Tate campaign Bella Artiste, a four-time winner from nine starts who paid $2.20.
Valentina Station and trainer/driver Eddie Dennis kicked off the DSBF proceedings with a 1:57.1 win in the first division, reeling in Sweet Samsara (David Rearic) by a neck. Proper Lady (Carlo Poliseno) was third.
A daughter of Badlands Hanover-Village Artist, Valentina Station posted her second win in eight starts for owners Rodney Wyatt and Kevin Peck. She returned $2.20 to win.
(Standardbred Canada with files from DSBF)