Spoonful, driven by Jim Morand, won the $100,000 Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund (DSBF) Two-Year-Old Filly Trot Final at Dover Downs on Wednesday, Nov. 23.
Trained by Les Givens, the all-time leading trainer in the DSBF program, Spoonful, a daughter of Political Briefing-Sanctions, overtook race favourite Luv Is Blind (Vic Kirby) in a fast dash down the stretch to win for the second straight time and fourth time overall from 13 starts for owners Delbert Cain and Nanticoke Racing. She now has won $104,512 in her rookie season. The time of the mile was 2:00.4. Luv Is Blind held second in front of Political Energy (Corey Callahan).
Dusty Fool won the $20,000 DSBF consolation in 2:04.3 as trainer/driver Carlo Poliseno never looked back after taking the early lead. Jane Dunavent bred and owns the sire and dam of the Dusty Winner-Cashmere gelding. Black Magic Mist (Art Stafford Jr.) was second and KJs Commando (Jared Moyer) was third.
On the regular card, Muscerene returned to the track where she had success last Spring, to lower his lifetime record by two seconds to 1:53.4. Tony Morgan executed the winning drive, pulling to the outside to follow Spunky Jack, who zipped past early leader Skates N Plates (Vic Kirby) nearing the last turn. Muscerene, owned and trained by Antonio Buttitta, came alongside Spunky Jack (Roger Plante) and then drew away for his seventh win of the season. The five-year-old Muscle Hill-Queen Serene gelding has now won $46,625 in 2016. War Cry Hall (Tim Tetrick) edged Spunky Jack for second.
In a $15,000 4&5-Year-Old Winners Over Handicap, Stake Your Claim Stable and and Martin Sternberg’s Uva Hanover, trained by Linda Toscano with Vic Kirby driving, was strongest in the stretch as the Cantab Hall-Up Front Laura gelding stormed past the leaders for a 1:54.4 victory. I Like My Boss (Allan Davis) raced tough to finish second with Classic Belisima (Corey Callahan) third.
Yannick Gingras led all drivers with three wins while Vic Kirby and Jonathan Roberts had two wins each.
Check Six and Manhattan Beach, winners of the two $35,000 eliminations last week, lead eight fast three-year-olds to post in the $314,600 Hap Hansen Progress Pace Final on Monday at Dover Downs.
(With files from Dover Downs)