Pacers Newborn Sassy and Big Top Hanover along with trotters Dog Gone Lucky and Womans Will turned in winning efforts in Thursday’s 2015 Matron Stakes for two-year-olds at Dover Downs.
The richest Matron stake, the $216,300 male trot, was won by Dog Gone Lucky. Fresh from victory in the Kindergarten Stakes at Vernon Downs the freshman notched his fifth win of the season for owners Amy Lynn Stoltzfus and Charles Stansley scoring a 1:55 victory. Corey Callahan guided the Lucky Chucky-Ebbtide Hall colt, conditioned by Hall of Famer Chuck Sylvester, to the easy victory. Milligans School (Andy Miller) closed quickly between horses to finish second with front-trotting Love Matters (Yannick Gingras) third.
Dog Gone Lucky, a New York Sire Stakes contender, has now banked $321,493 in his first year of racing.
The husband-wife team of Andy Miller and Julie Miller collaborated as Womans Will recorded a 1:54.2 triumph in the $185,400 Matron filly trot. Canadians Al Libfeld and Marvin Katz, two of the sport’s leading breeders, own the Donato Hanover-Will Of A Woman consistent first-year performer. The bay filly now has five wins and nine times in the money in 12 starts good for purse money of $353,881. Kathy Parker (Gingras) led for most of the mile before relenting to Womans Will at the top of the stretch. Radian Beam (David Miller) picked up third money.
The powerful Jim King Stable showed off in front of the local track patrons when Newborn Sassy scored her eight win in 10 starts to win the $183,400 Matron Filly event. Tim Tetrick, who had a banner three-win night during the program, steered the Western Ideal–Sass Newton youngster to an impressive 1:52 victory. Penpal (Pat Lachance) closed sharply for second. The win was the seventh in a row for Newborn Sassy, who lifted her bankroll to $216,284 this season.
Big Top Hanover completed the Matron freshman festivities rolling to a 1:51.4 conquest in the $201,400 male pace. Yannick Gingras piloted the JT45 and Burke Racing-owned Western Ideal-Blind Ambition colt to his third win of the campaign for the sport’s leading trainer, Ron Burke. The win was the third of the year for the winner who has been in the money in eight 13 starts.
There were two $20,000 Matron consolations.
Bobby Myers and Frank Condurso’s Moolah Moolah captured the first of two Matron consolations. David Miller came on in the lane to catch Black Broadway (Callahan) in deep stretch for a 1:56.2 filly trot win.
The $20,000 Matron colt consolation went to Yannick Gingras-driven All The Cookies, a 1:52.4 winner in his first lifetime pari-mutuel race. Christina Takter, Joe Sbrocco and Brixton Medical own the Rocknroll Hanover-Queen Otra gelding.
(Dover Downs)