Nova Artist picked right up where he left off last meet with a powerful 1:50.2 performance to win Thursday’s $30,000 Delaware Special at Dover Downs.
Last season’s ‘Horse of the Meet,’ trained by Martin Davis, moved to the outside after a :54.2 first half and Allan Davis blasted past front-stepping As Bad As Thunder and Bret Brittingham midway down the backstretch and then opened up a three-length lead and coasted home for his sixth win of the year.
Nova Artist, a five-year-old son of Real Artist-Avon Lady, lifted his seasonal earnings to $135,670 for Eddie and Kathy Davis. Rustys All In closed strongly for Matt Kakaley to finish second while As Bad As Thunder held on for third.
Tim Tetrick guided Harry von Knoblauch’s Mainland Key N to a 1:51.2 triumph in a $24,000 Open Pace. The Peter Tritton-conditioned Shiney Key-Eastwood Bluejeans gelding scored his eighth win of 2012 and now has won $166,265 the campaign. Valentino (Ron Pierce) led through the early stages and held on for the place while Nob Hill High (Eric Carlson) spent much of the contest on the outside and finished third.
(Dover Downs)