After taking top honours in the Virginia Breeders' Fund championship in October, Platinum Proposal delivered a statement 1:59 win in her $28,169 first-round Delaware Standardbred Breeders' Fund division for three-year-old trotting fillies on Monday, Dec. 2 at Bally's Dover.
After getting away last in the field of five, Platinum Proposal and driver Jim Morand mounted a last-to-first brush to overpower early pacesetter Daburg on the backstretch and then fend off a sustained first-over challenge from runner-up Marinos Prize (Ross Wolfenden) to score by 2-1/2 lengths. Little Silver (Troy Beyer) rallied for third.
Les Givens trains Platinum Proposal, an E L Platinum-SJs Proposal filly with 10 career wins and $295,291 in earnings, for Nanticoke Racing and Delbert Cain.
Going Platinum and driver Corey Callahan posted a front-end 1:59.1 win in a division, leading 1-2 favourite Lovies Place (Art Stafford Jr.) through splits of :28.2, :58.2 and 1:28.3 before speeding off to a 2-1/2-length victory. Royal Robin (Tony Morgan) was third.
Nick Callahan trains Going Platinum, a daughter of E L Platinum-Nitroglide Hanover who paid $4.60 to win, for Breakaway Racing.
In the other division, 4-5 favourite Chinco Mayo recovered from an early break to circle her five rivals and nab FD Pure Platinum in the final strides of a 2:00.2 mile. Pat Berry drove the E L Platinum-Silence Is Bliss filly, who paid $3.60, for trainer Jason Skinner and owner Tracy Bradshaw.
Three-year-old male trotters kick off their DSBF series on Tuesday, Dec. 3, with a pair of $20,000 USD first-round events kicking off a 15-race card at Bally's Dover. First post is 4:30 p.m.
(Delaware Standardbred Breeders' Fund)