Smoother Ride, the only three-year-old in the field, closed strongly to win the $20,000 Open Handicap Trot on Wednesday, Nov. 20 at Dover Downs.
Green Day (Trace Tetrick) cut out the mile while shaking off opposition. Ross Wolfenden waited until the stretch before gunning Smoother Ride on to catch the leader in the closing strides for a 1:54.3 victory in the week’s top trot.
Steve Elliott trains and co-owns the Yankee Glide-Mazda Hanover colt with Angelo Frassetto Estate. Smoother Ride's third victory of the year puts him into six figures with seasonal earnings climbing to $109,397.
Green Day held on for second while Spunky Jack (Roger Plante), a winner last week, took third this time.
Earlier, Barbara Boese’s Awsome Valley rolled away from the outside to get the early lead and never was headed in 1:55.1 victory in a $15,000 Winners Over Handicap Trot. Im So Striking (Eddie Dennis) closed along the inside to take second. Photo Maxx (George Dennis) was third. The win for the Valley Victor-Nannina Ambrosio four-year-old gelding was his eighth of the season, good for $88,992 earnings.
In a $15,000 trot for 3,4&5-year-olds, Jersey Boy closed with a rush for Corey Callahan for a 1:55.3 triumph. Ed Gannon Jr. conditions the four-year-old altered son of Yankee Glide-Atlanta Games, who responded with his sixth success of the season. Dawn Gannon, Yannick Gingras and Dom Costanzo own the winner. Gwally (Vic Kirby) was runner-up. Lock Tight (George Dennis) was the show finisher.
The $15,000-$20,000 Claiming Handicap Trot was all Up Front Ben, who scored his sixth win in a row in 1:54.4 and gave Tony Morgan his third win of the night. The brown son of Andover Hall-Sounds Swell is owned by Ken Wood, Bill Dittmar and Steve Iaquinta. He is now 10-for-11 this year. Do It For Annie (Vic Kirby) closed to finish second in front of Ringside Muscles (Corey Callahan).
Last week, 72-year-old driver Walt Layfield Jr. was overlooked at 61-1 driving David Banks’ sophomore gelding All Gold to victory. This time, believers made him race favourite as the veteran driver raced parked out the mile and still won in 1:52.2. Proudly Yours (Eddie Davis Jr.) and On The Horizon (Vic Kirby) were second and third respectively.
Tony Morgan had four winners and Trace Tetrick scored with two.
Nova Artist shoots for his third straight feature win in Thursday's featured $30,000 Preferred/Open.
(With files from Dover Downs)