Top three-year-olds return for the Matron Stakes elims while the Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund (DSBF) kicks off the first of two weeks of preliminaries at Dover Downs on Sunday, November 22
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Progress Pace winner Vertical Horizon, with Dave Palone driving this week, returns in one of two $39,082 elim divisions of the remaining 2009 Matron Stakes and again is teamed with Schoolkids and Tim Tetrick as part of Bulletproof Enterprises entry. A couple of new faces raced in major events last week, Clear Vision, owned by John Fielding and David McDuffee after finishing second in the Messenger Stake and Nob Hill High, driven by John Campbell, for Bob Mondillo and Don Robinson raced in the American National a well ago.
Elmer Fannin and George Teague Jr.'s Mr Wiggles had bad racing luck in the Progress Pace and moves into a better post position this time with regular driver Corey Callahan. Go Go Solano and George Brennan are in peak form with a just-miss second place finish last Sunday. Ron Pierce drives Bunkmeister for Carter Racing and LeBlanc Racing while Tidewater Tomahawk and Daniel Dube, owned by Weaver Bruscemi, JJK Stables and Burke Racing and Ben Stafford and Ed Gold's New York Sire Stakes Table And Chair and Jim Morand start from Posts 7 and 8 respectively.
Bulletproof Enterprises' Straight Shooting (George Brennan), the upset winner of the American National, and Ideal Race (Dave Palone), are coupled in the second $39,082 Matron elim. Vintage Master (Daniel Dube) closed with a rush to a half-length of victory but had to settle for third in the Progress Pace. Arctic Warrior (Tim Tetrick) was also in the photo finish last week and was fourth. There are three other fresh faces Hypnotic Blue Chip (John Campbell) for Rachel Frost, R.M.Murphy, Stable 45 and trainer Mark Harder, Elmer Fannin and George Teague Jr.'s Chasin Racin (David Miller), Doubleshotascotch (Tony Morgan) and Joe and JoAnn Thomson's Barn Art (Jeff Fout). A pair of locally owned starters are Carter Racing and LeBlanc Racing's Rustys All In (Ron Pierce) and Gary and Barbara Iles' Zee Barber (Jim Morand).
There are two trots and a three pace divisions in DSBF prelims. Bob Wyatt and Nanticoke Racing's Ymi Special (Les Givens) and John and Pat Moore's Super Delegate (Eddie Moore) lead one trot. Mike Gannon's Par Done My Putt (Windy Donaway), winner of the $100,000 DSBF Final at Harrington and Rod Allen's Nitro Commando head the other $20,000 section.
In $20,000 colt pace action, Scout Hanover (Ben Stafford Jr.) owned by Ben Stafford and Trevor Donaldson, and Stephanie and Brian Cassell's McMurray Hanover (Dave Miller) head one section, LDD Enterprize's Never Going Away (David Miller), The Wiz Kinds Stable's Golden Gladiator (Bart Dalious) and Lou Paglierani's Lou's Bad Yankee (Jim Morand) in the second division. Delmarvalous (Corey Callahan) is the one to beat in the third $20,000 prelim.
Sunday post time is 5:30 p.m.
(Dover Downs)