Art Stafford Jr. swept both $20,000 first-round Delaware Standardbred Breeders' Fund (DSBF) events for three-year-old trotting fillies on Monday (Nov. 27) at Bally's Dover, driving his trainees She Is Strong and Last Nights Hit to victory in their respective divisions.
In the first division, a three-horse non-wagering event, She Is Strong coasted to the 13th win of her career, defeating Tymal Jacquelyn by 25-3/4 lengths in 1:58.2.
The daughter of Anders Bluestone-Nidaros, who was a seven-length winner in the $110,000 DSBF final at Harrington Raceway in July, rolled unopposed through splits of :29.1, :58.3 and 1:28.3 en route to her 10th win in 16 starts this year. She has now banked $221,625 for owner Jeffery Clark, who bred the filly in partnership with Vernon Cannon. Tymal Jacquelyn (Robert Sampson) kept 1-3/4 lengths of clearance on Abettabeatya (Ross Wolfenden) to preserve second after giving futile chase to She Is Strong throughout the entire mile.
Stafford completed his stakes double in the second division with Last Nights Hit ($8), who rated a comfortable early tempo before staving off 3-5 favourite Starlight Lounge for a gritty 2:00.3 score.
Last Nights Hit asserted herself to establish early control, seating Starlight Lounge (Cody Poliseno) into a loose pocket on approach to the first turn. The Iron Mine Bucky-Overnight filly coasted through early fractions of :29.2, :59.3 and 1:28.4 before Starlight Lounge began to work closer and make her move out of the pocket with three-sixteenths to go. Starlight Lounge stuck her neck in front off the corner for home, but Last Nights Hit fought back under a Stafford drive to reclaim the lead 70 yards before the winning post and win by a half length. Royal Flirt (Justin Vincent) finished third, three lengths farther in arrears.
Stafford bred and co-owns Last Nights Hit, now a two-time winner with $40,465 in career earnings, with Wyatt Starkey.
DSBF series action for three-year-olds continues Tuesday (Nov. 28), with male trotters contesting a pair of $20,000 first-round preliminary events at Bally's Dover. The non-wagering split is scheduled for 4:10 p.m. (EST), while the second split kicks off a 15-race pari-mutuel program at 4:30 p.m.
(Delaware Standardbred Breeders' Fund)