Newcomer Somebody AS, the race favourite, was never challenged en route to a 1:54.2 victory in the $20,000 Open/Handicap Trot on a longshot-filled Wednesday, Feb. 24 card at Dover Downs.
Somebody AS left quickly from the middle of an eight-horse field to get the lead in rein to Corey Callahan and never was tested on the way to his second win in four starts this year. The seven-year-old Striking Sahbra-Noblesse AS gelding trained by Anette Lorentzon was all alone at the wire for owners Kjell Johansson and breeder ACI Stuteri AB. Five Towns (Jonathan Roberts), an 18-1 shot, came into the race with two wins in a row, but had to settle for second as he followed eight and a half lengths behind the winner. Six Gun Hall (George Dennis), in his first start of the year, finished third. War Cry Hall (Vic Kirby), a winner of the last two Opens, was troubled by starting on the outside, but closed to finish fourth.
In the $15,500 4&5-Year-Old sub-feature trot, Inner Peace (Pat Berry) appeared on the way to victory when the gelding broke stride in mid-stretch. Eskimo Joe, a 9-1 shot, then came on to record his first win of 2016, closing fast to nip Royal Becca J (Jack Parker Jr.) at the wire in 1:56.2. Joe Skowyra conditions Eskimo Joe, an altered son of Credit Winner-New Hampshire Girl, for Barbara Boese Trust. Marzipan (Dennis) came storming on the outside to take third.
In other trots, Lou Man (Kirby), owned by John McGill and Brian Carsey, was a winner in 1:55.2 in one $12,000 contest while Angela Coombs’s 12-1 Phantom Rusty (Roberts) won a second in 1:57. Robbins Nest Farm’s Keystone Orion (Roberts) won at 12-1 in a $9,500 event. Rosemary Smutz’s Man Of Muscle (Berry) closed strongly at 18-1 to win a $9,000 trot. Jay Baxter’s Bellas Punkett (Wolfenden) was a 1:57 winner at 6-1. Eddie Davis’s 30-1 shot Eurocan (Allan Davis) got up in 1:57 to win a $7,500 trot and Abrcadabra Hanover (Davis), off at 9-1, nipped favourite Winbak Red (Callahan) at the wire in 1:57.4 to win a Delaware $5,000-$7,500 Claiming Handicap trot.
George Dennis had a driving triple that included two wins with horses trained by Kevin Lare for Frank Chick. Vic Kirby had a double.
(With files from Dover Downs)