Eliminations for this year’s Hap Hansen Progress Pace went postward Monday at Dover Downs, and sons of Somebeachsomewhere were in the spotlight.
Check Six survived a tough trip from first-over to take his $35,000 elimination for driver Yannick Gingras and trainer Ron Burke.
Easy Lover Hanover, who was a $25,000 supplement to the event, shot to the top and sliced out fractions of :26.3, :56.1 and 1:24.1. Check Six, who got away fourth, came first-over on the way to the mid-way point, and he continued to grind away in the back half of the tilt. Check Six used a :27.2 closing panel to prevail by a neck over race favourite Easy Lover Hanover in 1:51.3. Lyons Snyder, JK Will Power and Big Top Hanover took home the final cheques.
Sent off as the 7-5 second choice in the wagering, Check Six won for the 11th time this season for the partnership of Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, William Switala and James Martin. The 15-time winner, who is out of the mare Southwind Vanna, pushed his earnings past $1.1 million with the win.
Manhattan Beach took the other elimination, and he showed no mercy to the competition in doing so.
Matt Kakaley was in no hurry with the Scott Di Domenico pupil, but the same couldn’t be said for Western Fame. That pacer charged to the lead and put up fractions of :26.4, :56.1 and 1:25 before being inhaled by a host of backfield challengers. Manhattan Beach tracked cover from second-over through the middle stages of the mile before blasting to the lead and drawing away to a five-length win in 1:52.4 over Katies Rocker. Rounding out the top five were odds-on favourite Boston Red Rocks, Western Fame and Stolen Glimpse.
Off at odds of 3-1, Manhattan Beach improved this year’s record to 5-3-6 from 25 trips to the track with the win. John McGill and Brian Carsey share ownership on the six-time winner who is out of the mare Benear. The speedster has stashed away more than $58,000 to date.
The richest event on Monday’s card was the $100,000 Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund Final for two-year-old trotting colts and geldings, and in that big money affair it was Crosby lighting the lamp in upset fashion for driver George Dennis.
The 17-1 shot got away seventh from Post 1, be he rallied into a slowing back-half tempo and drew clear to win by 1-1/2 lengths over Moonshine Lavec in 2:03.3. Jiggs took home third prize.
Trainer Linda MacDonald co-owns the homebred son of Keystone Activator-Melody Luv with Susan Durham of Smyrna, DE. The win improved the rookie’s record to 2-1-1 from five trips to the track and the $50,000 payday bumped his bankroll to $69,000.