Fresh off a 2-3/4-length win in round one, Forrest Bartlett's Primo Maschio asserted himself as the horse to beat in next Thursday's Delaware Standardbred Breeders' Fund (DSBF) championship for three-year-old male pacers with a 1:55.2 score over four rivals in his $27,778 second-round split on Thursday, Dec. 11 at Bally's Dover.
Primo Maschio got away third before Trae Porter angled him off the pegs midway on the first turn to strike the lead at the end of a :28.3 first quarter. After seizing control, the Badlands Hanover-Primadonna gelding travelled unopposed through middle splits of :58 and 1:27 before steadily edging clear of pocketed rival Maximum Luck (Jason Green) on the far turn to win by 5-1/2-lengths. Big Hunk A Money (Jason Thompson) mounted a mild rally off the home turn to finish second, ahead of Maximum Luck.
Primo Maschio recorded his ninth win of the season in 15 attempts and 18th overall from 26 starts. Walter Callahan trains the gelding, who has earned $496,808 to date in his career. The win price was $2.10.
Wyatt Earp and driver Tony Morgan rode the pocket en route to a 1:55.2 win in the other section, a pre-card non-wagering event. After sitting behind Lew Not Lou (Thompson) through :28.2, :56.3, and 1:25.2 fractions, Wyatt Earp swung out and caught the pacesetter by a head. Shore Not Beach (Pat Berry) rallied to finish third.
Jason Skinner trains Wyatt Earp, a Classic Card Shark-Rockn Ruby N gelding who has won four races and earned $142,440 in 37 career outings. All four wins have come in 28 appearances in 2025 for owner/breeder Conor Brewer.
Two-time preliminary winner Primo Maschio and single-leg winners Wyatt Earp and Shore Not Beach will be joined in next week's $110,000 USD DSBF championship by Lew Not Lou, Maximum Luck, Big Hunk A Money, Won Last Call and B Like Tony.
Downers Delight benefitted from a pocket trip and won the $38,194 Blue Hen Open Handicap Pace.
Itsrockandroll A (Tim Tetrick) and Downers Delight were quickest off the wings, and Itsrockandroll A, the 4-5 favourite, powered to the top before the quarter in :27.2 and led to the half in :56. Stevens Saloon (Thompson) moved to the outside at three-eighths and inched his way up, parked-out and coverless past the half. Stevens Saloon drew alongside the leader nearing the third station, and both pacers prepared to do battle at three-quarters in 1:23.3 with Downers Delight content to watch from the pocket for Pat Berry.
At the top of the stretch, Itsrockandroll A was able to put away the pesky Stevens Saloon, but the major danger proved to be Downers Delight, who snaked through along the pylons in deep-stretch to win by a neck in 1:51.4. Itsrockandroll A was a game second, followed by Stevens Saloon.
Downers Delight, trained by Traci Berry for TLB Racing LLC, is now 11-for-23 this season. The seven-year-old son of Bettors Delight-Astrmowin has won 24 times in 110 career starts with $461,023 in the bank. He paid $13.40 for the win.
Tom Horn topped a trio of winners for trainer Wayne Givens on the 13-race betting card as the sophomore extended his winning streak to eight in a $21,528 conditioned contest. The son of Cattlewash-Dancinwiththestarz went wire-to-wire, setting :27.3, :56.4, and 1:25 fractions under the command of Tetrick and winning by a length in 1:53.2. Raw Power (Pat Berry) rode the pocket for place, followed by first-over Bold Speed (Troy Beyer).
Tom Horn has won eight straight races after beginning his career one-for-26. He's made his most recent two trips to the winner's circle for Givens and owners Legacy Racing of Delaware Inc., Hazzard Racing Stables, and Amy Penuel, who acquired him after his Nov. 16 start. The gelding has now earned $339,408 lifetime and is nine-for-21 this year. He returned $2.60 to win.
Givens also won with Armada Hanover ($4.40) and Somelousomewhere ($2.80). The conditioner has tallied 37 wins this season in 265 starts.
Next week at Dover, which features three DSBF finals, will be the final week of live racing before the Christmas holiday break.
(DSBF & Dover Downs & Standardbred Canada)