The combination of driver Tim Tetrick, trainer Jim King and owner JoAnn Looney-King ruled both ends of Thursday’s Daily Double at Dover Downs.
Those races featured $20,000 Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund divisions for three-year-old filly pacers.
Burn Brighter held off Mingo to score a 1:56.1 triumph in the opening le of the DSBF prelims with Sea Bags (Tony Morgan) third. An altered daughter of Roddys Bags Again-Tear Drop, the win came in the second start of the meet.
Lightning struck again in the second $20,000 division when the driver, trainer, owner trio made the winner’s circle with Evolution Tour who turned in a 1:52.4 performance in his first start of the year. Sired by Roddys Bags Again from Rare Filly, it was the fifth win of his career with four seconds in nine lifetime starts and banked $101,550 in purses. Race favourite Slick Tony (Russell Foster) was second in front of Transitioning Joy (Montrell Teague).
Niss Allen and Crissman Inc’s Major Uptrend, a Somebeachsomewhere-Tricky Tooshie gelding, overpowered six rivals in the $35,000 Preferred Ides of March feature. Tony Morgan grabbed the racetrack early and widened his margin of victory to five-lengths in a dominating 1:49.2 conquest, his third sub-1:50 win of the meet. Little Ben (Tetrick) enjoyed a two-hole trip behind the winner but could not close on the :27.4 final panel. Sicily (Montrell Teague) did not leave from the outside this week, but closed strongly for third.
Next Monday through Thursday DSBF $20,000 second leg prelims take place. The top eight point-getters in each of the four divisions race for $100,000 finals on meet closing day, Thursday, March 29.
(With files from Dover Downs)