Trace Tetrick topped a five-win day guiding Artists Rally to a 1:52.1 victory on a windy and chilly Thursday in the $27,500 Delaware Special/Handicap at Dover Downs.
Artists Rally left from post 1 and controlled all quarters en route to victory in the week’s top pace, the $27,500 Del. Special. Ed Gannon Jr. owns and trains the Real Artist-Spunky Gal black gelding who won for the second time this year. Jeremys Successor (Sean) Bier finished second in front of Feel Like A Fool (George Dennis).
Ice Scraper, driven by Roger Plante, and EZ Noah with Allan Davis, finished in a 1:52.3 deadheat for win in the $17,500 4&5-Year-Old Open Handicap. Phyllis Copeland conditions Ice Scraper, a Yankee Skyscaper-Chill Breezes gelding owned by Jim Behrendt. EZ Noah is a Western Terror-Her Majesty gelding trained by Josh Green for owner Baron Racing.
Harry von Knoblauch’s Ohoka Texas N streaked along the passing lane to get up in 1:52 to win the $15,000 Male Winners-Over pace. The win was one of two for Ross Wolfenden. Peter Tritton trains the Christian Cullen-Millwood Touche seven-year-old. Dreamfair Kovu (Jim Morand) was the place horse with Bad Man Sam (Kirby), the early leader finishing a close third.
Ron Pierce was aboard Manhattan Rusty N, a 1:53.3 winner of the $25,000-$30,000 Male Claiming Handicap. Wade Wyatt owns the Artsplace-Miss Matao N gelding trained by Joe Skowyra. The victory was the fourth in a row for Manhattan Rusty N, with three different owners due to being claimed three straight weeks. Adams Hanover (Kirby) was second with Hasty Western (A.Davis) the show horse.
There were several $14,500 4&5-Year-Old Winners-Over paces. In one Patron Racing and trainer Jim King’s Sea Harrier was one of Tetrick’s early wins. The Jeremes Jet-Ingrid Bergrin gelding won for the fourth time in his last five outings recording a 1:53.4 triumph.
Tetrick returned for another victory in a $14,500 pace for younger male horses steering John Dayton’s Just A Jolt, sired by Village Jolt from Just Wait Kate, also conditioned by Jim King, for a 1:53.1 score.
Lauren Allen owned and trained Cruising West, by Yankee Cruise-Best Western, was Ross Wolfenden’s third trip to the winners circle thanks to a 1:54.3 win in a third $14,500 pace.
The Delaware-bred Spinfiniti, owned by Howard Taylor, notched his sixth win in his last seven starts as Wolfenden drove a 1:56.1 victory. The No Spin Zone-Hurricane Jenna brown four-year-old finished second in his only none-win of the year.
In addition to Trace Tetrick's quintet of wins and Wolfenden’s triple, trainer Jim King recorded three wins while Bobby Myers and Josh Green had two wins each.
(Dover)