Modern Family, the youngest trotter in the feature at four, stepped right up to $23,000 Open/Handicap ranks and scored a 1:54.2 victory on a rain changing to snow shower program at Dover Downs on Wednesday.
After winning a conditioning race by 16-lengths last week, Modern Family took on the track’s top trotters and came away with a hard-fought victory in the week’s feature race. Daryl Bier, who co-owns Modern Family with Charley Dombeck and Rich Pollucci, raced outside track-record holding older trotter Hes Spooky and Eric Carlson from mid-backstretch. Modern Family finally collared the leader nearing the finish line for his second straight win of 2013.
Though the son of Cantab Hall-Domestic Diva raced unplaced in the Breeders Crown and Matron, Modern Family showed his class winning for the sixth time in his career, during which he's banked $85,772 in purses.
Green Day led early for Corey Callahan and held on to finish third.
One race earlier, Steve Moss’ Winsun Galaxie, handled by Tony Morgan, held off Sun Of A Victory at the wire in 1:55.1 to take the $16,000 Winners Over Trot sub-feature. The win for the Leigh Raymer trainee was his second in three starts this year, third in his last four and fourth of six with two seconds. For the third consecutive week, Baximum (Corey Callahan) was the show horse. The Kadabra-Imageofaclearnight horse has won $338,318 with 14 career wins.
Major Herbie was best in the stretch for a 1:57.2 triumph in a $13,500 Non- Winners Trot. Ron Pierce picked up his third winning drive steering the Here Comes Herbie-Independent Dame ridgling to his first win in six starts this season. Awsome Valley (Carlo Poliseno) was a close second with front-trotting Tagyoureit Hanover (Ross Wolfenden) third.
Upfront Ben, reined by Ron Pierce, was parked out for the entire mile, but proved much the best winning for the fifth straight time, winning a $15,000-$20,000 Claiming Allowance from post eight in 1:55.1. The win was the fifth in a row over a two-week period for the ownership team of Ken Wood, Bill Dittmar and Steve Iaquinta with trainer Eric Ell. The streak ended in the feature trot when their horse, Anders Bluestone, finished out of the money.
Pierce and Tim Tetrick had three wins each while Tony Morgan had a double.
Dancin Yankee, Stolen Car and Mustang Art head the $35,000 Preferred pace Thursday feature race. Monday through Thursday post time is 4:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday racing begins at 1 p.m. No live racing on Fridays.
(Dover Downs)