Millionaire pacer Thinking Out Loud edged out Bettors Edge after a heated stretch duel to win the first $29,444 Matron Stake elimination for three-year-old pacing colts on Sunday evening at Dover Downs.
Shady Breeze (Corey Callahan) fired off the gate from post five to establish the early lead, but gave way to outsider Major Bombay (Andy Miller) during a :26-second opening quarter.
As the Glamour Boys moved in front of the grandstand for the first time, the lead changed hands again with Bettors Edge (David Miller) sweeping to the top from third.
Bettors Edge showed the way to the :54.2 half-mile mark, where driver John Campbell tipped Thinking Out Loud off the pylons from fourth and charged after the leader.
Those two battled head-to-head past the 1:21.4 third quarter mark and into the stretch with Thinking Out Loud getting up in the final strides to score the 1:50 victory by a nose for trainer Bob McIntosh. Im The Pied Piper (Yannick Gingras) came on for third. Mcerlean (Tim Tetrick) finished fourth and will also advance to next week's $175,000 final.
The son of Ponder, this year's North America Cup winner, is owned by Robert McIntosh Stables Inc. of Windsor, Ont., Al McIntosh Holdings Inc. of Leamington, Ont., and C S X Stables of Liberty Center, Ohio.
Thinking Out Loud paid $3.20 to win.
Hillbilly Hanover pulled off a 14-1 upset in the second elimination while the favoured Progress Pace champion Heston Blue Chip came on for second after running into traffic troubles down the backstretch.
Inside starters Easy Again (Montrell Teague) and Bolt The Duer (Mark MacDonald) battled for the leading role through a sizzling :25.3 opening panel before Bolt The Duer cleared in front of the grandstand.
As Bolt The Duer led the way to the next marker in :54.1, Yannick Gingras sent Hillbilly Hanover first over from fourth with Mel Mara (Ron Pierce) following his cover and Heston Blue Chip (Tim Tetrick) forced three-wide.
Hillbilly Hanover cleared to command down the backstretch near the 1:22.4 three-quarters mark. Mel Mara dropped into the two-hole around the final turn with Heston Blue Chip left on the outside to chase home the leader.
But Hillbilly Hanover prevailed by nearly two lengths in a new lifetime mark of 1:50.3 for trainer Ron Burke. Heston Blue Chip finished second and Escape The News (Matt Kakaley) came in third. Mel Mara finished fourth to earn the last spot in the final.
The Dragon Again gelding, a runner-up in the Tattersalls Pace who notched just his second win of the season, is owned by Burke Racing Stable LLC of Fredericktown, Weaver Bruscemi LLC of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, Frank Baldachino of Clarksburg, New Jersey and Lawrence Karr of Randolph, New Jersey.
He paid $30.20 to win.
Sunday's card also featured three $20,000 Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund preliminaries for freshman pacing colts.
Rodney Long and the Hundertpfunds’ Hot Roddy, handled by George Dennis, had just enough to hold off streaking Golden Gun (Bart Dalious) at the wire in 1:55.3. The win by the Roddys Bags Again-The Artful Diva brown colt, was his sixth in seven races. This ups his rookie season bankroll to $82,575. Company After Six (Allan Davis) was the show finisher.
Jim Morand zipped Ilkithemtrashy quickly into the lead heading down the backstretch and pulled away for a 1:56.1 victory in a second DSBF prelim. Les Givens trains the Donna Messick and Nanticoke Racing homebred son of Art Director-The Queen Of Trash, who notched his fourth win of the year and hiked his earnings to $33,736. Ramblin Bob (Ross Wolfenden) was second best with Pool Buddy (Jonathan Roberts) third.
In the other DSBF section, Ambush The Bags, literally did ambush his five rivals, to the tune of 30-1, by scoring his first win of the year in 1:56.4, the first of two Allan Davis longshot winning drives. Bobby Myers, bred, owns and trains the Roddys Bags Again-Ambush Killean gelding. Artistic Director (Tony Morgan) finished second in the three-horse photo with Beammeupscottie (Jonathan Roberts) was third.
The second DSBF round is set for next Sunday with the top eight point getters, after the prelims racing for a $100,000 purse on Dec. 9.
(With files from Dover Downs)
Maybe they should fine John
Maybe they should fine John Campbell 10.00 dollars for driving too fast!!!!
Great drive John, we still love you in CANADA!!!!