Designs On You ($6.60) claimed the spotlight in Wednesday's (Nov. 8) first-round preliminary action of the Delaware Standardbred Breeders' Fund (DSBF) series for two-year-old pacing fillies with a 1:57 win in the second of three $20,000 divisions.
With 1-5 favourite Bellas Dream last in the five-horse field due to an early break, Allan Davis settled the Badlands Hanover-Coco Chanel filly in third behind the pacesetting duo of Amelia Maximus (Ceba Horsey) and Novas Baby Girl (Eddie Davis) through splits of :29.3 and :58.4 before floating off the pegs up the backstretch to stalk a :28.3 third-quarter duel. After Amelia Maxiumus dismissed of the outside challenge of Novas Baby Girl, Designs On You advanced uncovered in the two-path to collar Amelia Maximus with a sixteenth to go and widened her winning margin to 1-3/4 lengths. Amelia Maximus narrowly held second over Bellas Dream (Tony Morgan), who rallied belatedly for third after her early miscue.
Eddie Dennis trains Designs On You, a two-time winner with $27,364 in career earnings, for Rodney Wyatt, Kevin Peck and Gerald Burbage.
In the first division, Curtsyforpurrseco and Tim Tetrick sustained a first-over attack out of third on pacesetter Jett Propelled (Art Stafford Jr.) through the final three-eighths of a 1:57.2 mile and win by a half length. Bad Nella Monella (Ross Wolfenden) finished third off a pocket trip.
Jim King Jr. trains the victorious daughter of Roddys Bags Again-Purrfectly Bad who has won four times and earned $39,771 for Jo Ann Looney-King.
In the final division, Smalltown Bad Girl ($31.40) and Victor Kirby rolled to a 14-1 upset, passing all five of their rivals for a 1:58 score. The daughter of Badlands Hanover-Hawthorne Hudson sat last as 2-1 favourite Classic Diamond (Corey Callahan) strolled through the first three-quarters in 1:28.2. With three-sixteenths to go, Kirby swung Smalltown Bad Girl off the pegs, and the pair swept four-wide through the stretch to nab the late-emerging American Marvel (George Dennis) in the final 40 yards and win by three-quarters of a length. Makemymommaproud (Eric Davis) lifted up the open stretch out of a failing pocket to save third.
Trainer Dylan Davis owns Smalltown Bad Girl, who broke her maiden with the victory, in partnership with Kevin Switzer.
Incaseyoudidntknow won back-to-back races after she defeated a solid field in the Winners Over/Open Mares Pace on Wednesday.
Driver Jim Morand exploded from post eight at the start of the race as Incaseyoudidntknow left alertly against Tae and Feeling Sweet. The 6-5 betting favourite, Incaseyoudidntknow, found the lead after being parked to the opening quarter in :26.3. She continued in the lead past the half in :55 and three-quarters in 1:23.4. Feeling Sweet made her move up the backstretch and duelled against Incaseyoudidntknow in the stretch. Incaseyoudidntknow found a new gear to win by 1-1/2 lengths in 1:51.3 Feeling Sweet (Tim Tetrick) finished second with Tae (Tony Morgan) third.
James Magno and Joseph Fonte co-own the daughter of Always B Miki. Les Givens trains the winner.
Tim Tetrick drove five winners on the card while Joe Columbo trained four winners on the card.
The second preliminary round of the DSBF series for two-year-olds commences on Thursday, Nov. 9 with three $20,000 events for male pacers kicking off a 15-race card at Bally's Dover that also features the $100,000+ Matron Stakes for three-year-olds. First post is 4:30 p.m. EST. There is a Pick-5 carryover worth $1,798.37 from races six through 10 on Thursday. First post is 4:30 p.m. EST.
(With files from Delaware Standardbred Breeders' Fund and Dover Downs)