Wednesday was a 'king’s ransom' at Dover Downs. Jim King dominated the morning qualifiers winning five of the non-betting races. On the official race program, King haltered another three winners including the $20,000 Open Trot Handicap victor when Frost Free Hanover overtook the race favourites to score in 1:55.3.
In his first 2017 appearance at a racetrack, Tim Tetrick had a full day. He drove four winners in qualifiers and added three more on the evening card. Art Stafford Jr. and Allan Davis also had driving triples.
In the Open, Frost Free Hanover and Vic Kirby were content to sit back while Uva Hanover (Tony Morgan) took the early lead only to relinquish to Tough Mac (Corey Callahan), who took over before 9-5 favourite Il Mago (Tim Tetrick) moved to the front in front of the grandstand. Il Mago continued to lead the way with Tirade Hanover (Yannick Gingras) coming alongside until just past the three-quarters. Kirby then shot past driving Rich Poillucci’s Frost Free Hanover, taking the field to the finish line in 1:55.3. The win was the Cantab Hall-Free Spirit gelding's third this year. Tirade Hanover held on for second with 56-1 Im So Striking (Eddie Dennis) hustling down the lane for third.
In the $15,500 4&5-Year-Old Winners Over Trot semi-feature, Celebrity Pegasus turned in a big 1:54.3 victory after starting in the second tier with Art Stafford Jr. in the bike. Stafford moved the son of Andover Hall-Celebrity Athena to the outside on the turn to the half-mile and worked his way up to second on the outside approaching the final turn. Celebrity Pegasus then accelerated and breezed home to hold off favourite Earls Speeder (Callahan) at the wire. Bluebird Reverend (Montrell Teague) was a nose away in third.
It’s another powerhouse Thursday program headlined by the $30,000 Preferred and $27,500 Delaware Special. Three hard-hitting new faces drew outside posts in this week’s top event, the $30,000 Preferred Handicap Pace, set for February 16 at Dover Downs. Weaver Bruscemi, Lawrence Karr, Phil Collura and Burke Racing stable’s Always At My Place, reined by Yannick Gingras, will make his first Eastern appearance after competing in Midwestern features. Robert Mondillo and Oompa’s Farms' Rodeo Romeo makes his first 2017 start with Corey Callahan, and the fast Art History, owned by Ken Klein and Old Block Stables with Ross Wolfenden in the bike, will make their first local appearance.
The co-feature is the $27,500 Delaware Special featuring two horses on win streaks. Blazing Bobby Sox (Stafford Jr.) is fresh from a pair of impressive victories for the Staffords and Don Marine and Brent Hall’s Emeritus Maximus (Gingras) is stepping up after two straight wins.
First race post time on Thursday is 4:30 p.m.
(With files from Dover Downs)