The favourites reined supreme in the Monday's prelims of the Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund Stake, while Handsoffmycookie scored impressively to win the $18,000 Mares Open Pace at Dover Downs.
Totally Rusty was an overwhelming favourite in the first division carving out an easy 1:54 victory, her seventh in eight career races for breeder-owner Carter racing Stable. Corey Callahan was in the bike for trainer Doug Lewis in the wire-to-wire conquest. Fly Me Courageous (George Dennis) was a distant second with Miss Ruby S (Ben Stafford, Jr.), the show horse.
Totally Rusty is the sole offspring of her sire Rustys For Real from the Badlands Hanover dam, Rustys Joy. She has now won $79,250 this season.
Purrfect Bags remained a perfect seven-for-seven romping home in 1:53.2 to win the second $20,000 division. Vic Kirby drove the Jim King trainee to the win over Western Sunshine (Tony Morgan) was runner-up. Riggins Route (Callahan) finished third.
Owned by Joann King, the daughter of Delaware’s leading pacing stallion, Roddys Bags Again-Purrfectly Bad now has won $101,750 in her first year of racing.
Gigi Deo won her first $20,000 DSBF prelim after a close second last week. Ross Wolfenden guided the Riggins-See And B Seen filly to a lifetime best 1:53 victory over Spin Vision (Callahan) and Brians Thunder (Jim Morand).
It was Gigi Deo’s fourth win in eight lifetime races. J&T Silva, C&G Racing stables and Deo Volente Farms own the winner of $93,300 this campaign. Aaron Lambert is her trainer.
The top eight-point getters after two weeks of prelims race in next Monday’s $100,000 DSBF final.
JFE Enterprise’s Handsoffmycookie returned to the winner’s circle in the $18,000 Mares Open pace with her sixth win of the year. Trace Tetrick was at the controls as the Art Major-Observe Me five-year-old defeated Monochromatic (Callahan) and race favourite Kiss Dont Bite (Kirby).
Handsoffmycookie has racked up $88,410 this season, while her lifetime total stands at $1,317,082.
(Dover Downs)