Following a pair of second-place finishes to Kats Fancy in preliminary action, Take It Easy took full advantage of a pocket trip and lifted late to get the last word in the final yards of the $150,685 Delaware Standardbred Breeders' Fund (DSBF) series championship for three-year-old trotting fillies on Monday (Dec. 15) at Bally's Dover.
In line to Ross Wolfenden, Take It Easy split rivals from post four to narrowly lead 1-10 favourite Kats Fancy (driven by Cody Poliseno) into the first turn before yielding for a pocket ride behind her outside rival through splits of :28.1, :58.3 and 1:28.1. As Saints Design (Corey Callahan) offered intensifying first-over pressure to Kats Fancy through the far turn, Take It Easy continued to stalk intently from the pocket before lifting up the open stretch to prevail by a neck in a lifetime best 1:57.3. Kats Fancy kept the persistent Saints Design at bay to save second.
Les Givens trains Take It Easy, now a three-time winner with $150,705 in career earnings, for Nanticoke Racing Inc of Seaford, DE, and breeders James Magno of Rockville, MD, and Joseph Fonte of Clarksville, MD. As the 6-1 co-second choice, the Anders Bluestone-Twin B Kisses filly returned $14.80 to win.
The $110,000 USD DSBF championship for three-year-old male trotters headlines a 15-race card at Bally's Dover on Tuesday (Dec. 16), going as the fourth of 15 races. First post is 4:30 p.m. (EST).
(With files from Delaware Standardbred Breeders' Fund)