Navy Blue continued his tear through the First State on Tuesday (Nov. 29), recording a 1:56.3 win — his eighth victory from nine starts this season — in his $20,000 first-round preliminary division of the Delaware Standardbred Breeders' Fund series for three-year-old trotting colts and geldings at Bally's Dover. JAs Bluestone rallied from off the pace to nab odds-on choice LGs Reed O Wen in the other division.
Prohibitive 1-20 favourite Navy Blue, in line to trainer-driver Art Stafford Jr., wasted no time establishing control of the terms, forcing Big Daddy D (driven by Cody Poliseno) to retreat to the pocket at the end of a :28.2 first-quarter duel. The pair raced one-two through middle splits of :58.3 and 1:27.3 while steadily separating themselves from their four rivals. Off the home turn, Navy Blue edged two lengths clear of his nearest rival, and, despite drifting a bit wide in mid-stretch, maintained that margin to the end of his 1:56.3 victory. Sunset Sail (Tony Morgan) rallied to take third, another 14-1/4 lengths behind.
Stafford, who also bred Navy Blue, shares ownership with Wyatt Starkey. The Anders Bluestone-Overnight Hit gelding has now won 10 of his 14 career starts including the Harrington DSBF series final earlier in the season, amassed $157,986 in career earnings, and paid $2.10 to win.
In the other division, JAs Bluestone took advantage of a pressured pace and a patient steer from trainer-driver Victor Kirby to win in 1:59. Away sixth early in the field of seven, JAs Bluestone angled third-over up the backstretch after LGs Reed O Wen (Jim Morand) took three-eighths of a mile to clear for the lead. Despite being able to pull the half back to :58.3, LGs Reed O Wen faced a second challenge heading into the far turn, when the first-over Tua (Montrell Teague) briefly seized command from LGs Reed O Wen. When Tua began to stall in the breeze, Kirby spun JAs Bluestone three-wide, and the Anders Bluestone-JAs Commando gelding rallied to collar LGs Reed O Wen by a neck in 1:59. Embrace The Stone (Tim Tetrick) finished third.
JAs Bluestone, a Pamela Wagner homebred, paid $6.20 to win. He has now won five times in 22 career starts and has banked $124,381.
In the Select Handicap Trot, Northern Express took advantage of a perfect trip to collect the winner's share of the $18,000 purse.
Northern Express was parked into the first turn by Secret Jet (Tyler Davis), who soon after accepted the pocket. Northern Express only held the lead for a short time before favoured Star Razor (Corey Callahan) made a move to the front just past the opening panel in :28. Star Razor led the field to the half in :56.4. Remarkable De Vie pulled first-over up the backstretch to challenge the leader to the three-quarters in 1:26. At the top of the stretch, Star Razor began to tire and driver Russell Foster muscled Northern Express off the rail, charging home to win by a head in 1:56.1. Secret Jet finished second and Star Razor finished third.
A son of Muscle Massive, Northern Express is owned and trained by Arty Foster Jr. of Harrington, Delaware. He returned $8.40 for the win.
Shea Lare celebrated his 21st birthday with a driving victory aboard Admiral Hanover in the sixth race and three training wins with Admiral Hanover, Jengish Chokuso, and Muscle Dynasty.
The second preliminary round of the DSBF series for three-year-old male trotters is slated for next Tuesday (Dec. 6). Wednesday's (Nov. 30) 14-race program at Bally's Dover begins with a pair of $20,000 DSBF first-round events for three-year-old pacing fillies; post time is 4:30 p.m.
(With files from Delaware Standardbred Breeder's Fund and Dover Downs)