No More Games and Ruby Ransome won the two $100,000 Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund Finals on a cold and blustery Sunday, Dec. 7 at Dover Downs.
No More Games had little difficulty turning back seven rivals in the DSBF Final as Corey Callahan drove into the lead after the start and set all the winning fractions in a 1:59.1 triumph. JAs Commando pulled out of sixth after the half and guided by Vic Kirby, she made up a world of ground to finish second. Funny Briefs with Tim Tetrick was the third-place finisher.
Kathleen Kuebler bred and conditioned No More Game before sending the filly to trainer Erv Miller. Since then the daughter of CR Commando-Celebrity Charter has won three of her five starts and $71,290 in purses.
In the $100,000 Colt Final, the public choice Collect The Brass made an untimely break on the first turn and could not return to stride in time to be a factor. Meanwhile, Bob Shahan scooted to the lead with Bakermill Blake and led until the final step when Ruby Ransom got up after a stretch long chase. Brandon Givens drove the CR Commando-Dreamlands Trophy colt for Ed Maas and Nanticoke Racing Inc. to the 1:59.4 score. Bakermill Blake was second to spare with Special Command with Roger Plante along to finish third.
The victory for Nanticoke Racing and driver Givens, one of his four for the night, was just a renewal of similar DSBF trotting winner's circles. This was the fourth consecutive year that the combination won a $100,000 final.
Vic Kirby drove Top Spa to a 2:04.2 victory in a $20,000 DSBF Two-Year-Old Filly Consolation. The CR Commando-Mora Hanover bay is trained by Syl King and owned by John Wagner and breeder Winbak Farms. Datzfast (Jeff Fout) was second. Court Critic (Tony Morgan) was the show finisher.
On the non-stakes card, Cory Callahan won his second on the card guiding owner-trainer Tony Domino's homebred MJBudah Baby, a McArdle colt from Call Her Bluff, to a front-end 1:53.3 triumph. Real Art (Frank Milby) was second in front of Ross The Boss N (Roger Plante).
Draft Hanover won his fourth in a row as Ross Wolfenden steered the three-year-old Dragon Again-Debras Charm colt to a 1:54 decision to win a $25,000 Claiming Allowance. Dave Kryway and Meadowbranch Stables own the Josh Green trainee. Pedo Doc (Callahan) finished second with Western Glory (Tony Morgan) third.
Following Brandon Givens four wins was Tony Morgan with three winners, Tim Tetrick, who goes for surgery on Monday, had a double to complete a seven-win day, after five victories at Chester Downs earlier in the day.
(With files from Dover Downs)