Elysium Lindy used the passing lane to end Royal Becca J’s two-race win streak in the $25,000 Open Handicap Trot on Tuesday (Feb. 13) at Dover Downs, while Soda Pump made several moves en route to victory in the sub-feature.
Jack Parker, Jr. rushed Royal Becca J from the outside into the lead at the quarter in :27.1. The gelding held the lead through a :56.4 half and 1:25.3 three-quarters and continued to lead until deep in the lane when Corey Callahan took the passing lane with Elysium Lindy and got up by a neck in 1:53.3. Theresademoninme (Jonathan Roberts) closed strongly to nab third place in the field of eight.
The previous race, a $13,000 winners-over trot, found Soda Pump used several times during a 1:53.1 mile. Soda Pump, driven by Tim Tetrick, spent most of the race two-wide and apparently beaten before rallying in deep stretch for his third win of the year for trainer Scott DiDomenico and owners Tetrick and Triple D Stables. Horses were two- and three-wide at several points, with Perseverance (Art Stafford, Jr.) challenging at the half-mile and later Tough Mac (Corey Callahan) three-wide before the three-quarters. snatching the lead and seemingly opening up on his eight opponents until Soda Pump’s late rally. Crazshana (Allan Davis) also came on to edge Tough Mac for place.
Stafford and Filled Donut scored an impressive 1:54 triumph in a $13,500 trot. L Dees Yoyo Ma (Steve Nason) was a fast-finishing second with Torkil (Montrell Teague) the third-place finisher. Ken Wood, Bill Dittmar, Steve Iaquinta, and Lou Walls own the Andover Hall-Miss Gertrude gelding who now has three wins, a second, and a third in five races this year.
Bro Hanover won the card’s top pace, a $12,000 event. Sean Bier drove the Somebeachsomewhere-Burning Point gelding to his third win in four 2018 starts for owner-trainer Crissy Crissman-Bier. Sonny Somewhere (Tony Morgan) was runner-up, and Takeittotheface (Tetrick) was third.
Newborn Sassy and Bettorhaveanother join Divas Image and Scandalicious in a strong eight-horse lineup in the $25,000 Mares Open Handicap on Wednesday. Post time is 4:30 p.m. Eastern.
(Dover Downs)