The winning streak is now nine-in-a-row and counting for Bruce Saunders’ star student Rock N Roll Heaven, who took five sophomore foes behind the woodshed for an old fashioned whooping on Sunday night in one of two $30,319 Matron Stakes eliminations
for colts and geldings.
With Dan Dube at the lines, the son of Rocknroll Hanover-Artistic Vision floated off the gate and got away fourth while Urgent Action (David Miller) zipped past the quarter pole in :26.3. Rockin Image (Yannick Gingras) sprinted to the top in front of the grandstand, but he wouldn’t hold down the top spot for very long. Rock N Roll Heaven was on him in a heartbeat, and in a matter of strides he found himself on the lead and tripping the teletimer beam at the mid-way point in :54.1. Still in charge at the three-quarter pole in 1:22.2, the colt roared home in :27.4 en route to the 1:50.1 decision. Rockin Image was a distant second, and third prize went to Windfall Blue Chip (Montrell Teague).
The victory was the fifteenth of the season in 20 assignments for Rock N Roll Heaven, who is owned by Frank Bellino of Bronxville, NY. The lion’s share of Sunday’s purse lifted the pacer’s bankroll to $2,683,523.
Delmarvalous got the job done in the opening elimination for the team of driver Brian Sears and trainer George Teague, Jr. The son of Badlands Hanover-Prymetyme Scootie watched Valentino (Tim Tetrick) slice out early splits of :25.4 and :54.2 before feeling first over heat from Dreamlands Art (George Brennan). Those two exchanged punches to the three-quarter pole in 1:22, with Delmarvalous tracking cover from second-over. Sears tipped his charge into the three-wide path as the field entered the stretch, and the colt surged to the top and drew clear to win in 1:50.2 over Valentino and Dreamlands Art.
After going 8-for-11 in his rookie season, Delmarvalous has followed up with a 3-for-17 campaign in 2010 for the partnership of Badlands Racing LLC of Chadds Ford, PA along with George Teague Jr Inc of Harrington and Elmer Fannin of Lincoln, DE. The victory bumped his overall earnings to $757,899.
Dover Downs will roll out the red carpet for the Glamour Boys next Sunday evening, as well, as they return for the $181,913 final of the Matron Stakes.