For the second straight night, a favourite, Windshield, and an upsetter, Flying Instructor, won a pair of $100,000 Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund frosh finals at Dover Downs
. Nanticoke Racing is part owner of both winning freshmen.
Windshield lived up to his favourite status scoring a 2:00.1 victory in the $100,000 trot final.
Driver Ross Wolfenden, who co-owns the Political Briefing-CR Mimosa colt with Nanticoke Racing, left from Post 8 and took over in front of the grandstand. The outcome was never in question as he recorded his seventh consecutive victory in an eight-win rookie season from 10 races. Bold Strike (Art Stafford Jr.) finished well for second. Left Alone Ranger (Corey Callahan) was the third-place finisher. Im So Striking, the second favourite in wagering, broke stride early, then rallied to rejoin the field and was moving up on the final turn when he again broke stride.
Les Givens, the all-time leading trainer in DSBF events, bought Windshield as a $9,000 yearling at the Winbak Yearling Sale in 2009.
“He’s been a good one from the start," he said. "In fact he’s one of the best Delaware-sired trotters [from a number of DSBF champions].”
Winning driver Wolfenden never lacked confidence in Windshield.
“I liked him at the [yearling] sale and the bidding went on between Les and I, so after he bought him, I bought another one and we decided to split ownership between us in the two colts.”
Windshield now has won $145,299 this year.
Tim Tetrick moved Flying Instructor from the rear making a big move heading to the three-quarters and raced alongside race favourite Shaving Mug (Montrell Teague) down the stretch before pulling away to a half-length victory in 1:55.1. Hot Shot Dresser (Tony Morgan) was the third finisher.
"My horse [Flying Instructor] doesn’t leave well and I was hoping for a fast pace," reported Tetrick. “I thought the horses in front of me would be tiring when I started up. [Fling Instructor] had been getting better in each of the two [preliminaries] and he was good in the stretch."
Wayne Givens trains Flying Instructor, a son of Badlands Hanover-Daylon Flyer, for Niel Gargiulo, Louie Paglierani, Legacy Racing of Delaware, and Nanticoke Racing. The win was the fifth of the year in 13 starts with three seconds and three thirds, lifting his bankroll to $99,383 in 2011.
In $20,000 DSBF consolations, Corey Callahan won the first of four races driving Triple S Stable's Ladys Bag Man, a Roddys Bags Again-Lady St. James gelding pacer, to victory in 1:56.3. Pushintheenvelope (Vic Kirby) was next in front of Fast Back Eddie (Matt Kakaley).
Boss The Hoss made the winner’s circle in 2:05.2 to win the $20,000 DSBF Colt Trot consolation for his owners, trainer Tom Leager and breeder Bob Leager. George Dennis was driver of the Don Boss Vita-Program For Glory gelding. Take Over Payments (Clifton Green) was second. Tzar (John Gazzerro) took third.
The usually strong Monday card features a $30,000 Delaware Special and $23,000 Open Pace, with a $16,500 and two $16,000 Winners-Over Paces on the Dec. 5 program.
(With files from Dover Downs)