Four weeks after winning his $100,000 final of the Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund series at Harrington Raceway, the GTY Stable's homebred Gaitway Guy kept his unblemished record intact with a measured win in the first preliminary leg of the fall DSBF series for two-year-old male pacers, held Monday at Bally's
The gelded son of Delmarvalous-Brussels Hanover was in no hurry early in the second of three $20,000 first-round divisions, yielding to three outside leavers through a :28.3 first quarter before making his move with a circuit to go. Once driver Corey Callahan gave Gaitway Guy his marching orders just beyond the quarter-mile mark, he accelerated at will, making up five lengths to clear early pacesetter Ajayi (driven by Montrell Teague) at the :57.3 half. Gaitway Guy maintained control throughout, hitting three-quarters in 1:26.2 before accelerating home under mild encouragement to keep Ajayi 1-1/2 lengths at bay at the end of a lifetime best 1:54.4 mile. Badlands Casino (Victor Kirby) posed a mild threat off the far turn, but failed to encroach on the top pair, finishing a detached third.
Jeff Smith trainee Gaitway Guy, a five-time winner with $82,400 in career earnings, paid $2.10 to win as the overwhelming 1-20 favourite.
Delightinhisglory also produced a 1:54.4 winning time, decisively capturing the first split and knocking two seconds off his previous career best. Tim Tetrick quarter-moved from the pocket with Delightinhisglory, rated soft middle fractions of :57 and 1:26.4, and then allowed the Roddys Bags Again-Cashmeres Delight gelding to pace away from his five rivals at will and win by 4-1/2 lengths while in hand. Cards A Flyin (Art Stafford, Jr.) overcame an early break in stride to collar Bad Boy Too (Kirby) for second.
Jim King, Jr. trains Delightinhisglory, a two-time winner who paid $2.80, for Donna Messick, who bred the gelding with Nanticoke Racing Inc and Jo Ann Looney-King.
The last opening-round division saw Night Terror endure an early battle for the lead before outlasting two late challenges for a 1:56 score. Roger Plante, Jr. put the Badlands Hanover-Wild Dream colt in play from race's outset, seating both Luck Is A Lynx (Montrell Teague) and Nottes Mist (Trae Porter) through a :27.2 first quarter — the fastest among all three divisions — before backing the half off to :57.4. Up the backstretch, Nottes Mist emerged first-over from third and stuck his head in front at three-quarters in 1:27, but Night Terror fought back to reclaim the lead midway on the far turn before fending off an inside challenge from Luck Is A Lynx in deep stretch by a head to win for the fifth time in his career. Nottes Mist faded to third.
Steve LeBlanc trains the Winbak Farm-bred Night Terror, who paid $4.20 to win, for Leblanc Racing, William Lutz Jr, Count De Money Stable and Ronald Jones.
Rookie male pacers will contest the second preliminary leg of the Dover DSBF series next Monday (Nov. 14), with the eight highest point earners squaring off in the $100,000 final on Nov. 21. Tuesday's (Nov. 8) program at Bally's
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