Nova Artist held off fast-closing Malak Uswaad N by a nose to win the $27,500 Delaware Special Handicap in 1:51 while Emeritus Maximus came from far back to take the $17,500 Open Handicap sub-feature in 1:51.1 on a windy Thursday, March 13 at Dover Downs.
Allan Davis put Nova Artist in motion heading around the clubhouse turn and moved up on the backstretch to finally take the lead in the stretch. The seven-year-old son of Real Artist-Avon Lady then had just enough to hold off fast-finishing Malak Uswaad N (Tony Morgan) at the wire. Jeremeys Successor (Sean Bier) was a solid third. Kathy and trainer Eddie Davis own the 33-time race winner of $825,142. The victory was Nova Artist's third of the year, good for purse earnings of $60,575 in 2014.
Emeritus Maximus tuned up for the rest of his four-year-old season by rolling from next to last in the $17,500 4&5-Year-Old Open Handicap to his third victory of the year in five starts with Ron Pierce in the bike. The four-year-old by Rocknroll Hanover out of Eternitys Delight was purchased after his sophomore stakes season by John Cancelliere and is trained by his brother Tom Cancelliere. Emeritus Maximus has won $315,398 lifetime. Lindwood Player (Corey Callahan) raced gamely finishing second. Mr Dennis (Jim Morand) was the show horse.
In the first of two $15,000 Male Winners Over Paces, Bill Emmons’ Bad Man Sam and Vic Kirby used an overland journey to score a lifetime-best 1:51.2 triumph. The Julianne Bobby-trainee, a Badlands Hanover-Greenspring Jenny gelding, just held off a fast-closing Summer Camp (Callahan) by a nose. Beavercreek Artist (Ron Pierce) was third.
Forrest Bartlett’s Jolt Of Fire scored a 1:52.4 decision in the other $15,000 event. George Dennis guided the Ronda Galko-conditioned Village Jolt-Fie Foe Fire gelding to his first win of the year. Wilburs Z Tam (A. Davis) was second with Twincreeks Jack (Pierce) third.
Fire In The Belly kept his three-year-old record unblemished as Trace Tetrick steered the son of Real Artist-Fire In The Sky to an easy wire-to-wire 1:53 victory, his fourth-in-a-row, in a $13,000 4&5-Year-Old Male pace. Owner Tom Kemp is reported to have turned down a six-figure offer for the gelding, who now has won six of his eight lifetime races with two seconds. All Gold (Bret Brittingham) was best of the rest. MG Kid (Morand) was third.
Trace Tetrick drove three winners -- two for trainer Jim King. Corey Callahan and Ron Pierce had doubles.
(With files from Dover Downs)