Hes Spooky was never headed in a 1:52.1 victory in the $23,000 Open Handicap Trot, breaking his own track record for an older trotting horse by a full second on Wednesday, March 20 at Dover Downs.
Driven by Eric Carlson for trainer Michael Hall, Hes Spooky sped away from the starting gate quickly and never relinquished the lead en route to his fourth victory of the year in the week’s feature trot. Anders Bluestone, the race favourite, raced alongside the winner from the mid-backstretch until the finish line and was second beaten a nose for the second straight week. Mandabra and Corey Callahan were the show finishers.
Howard Taylor, Alan Kaplan, Rojan Stable and LA Express Stable own the Cantab Hall-Yankee Topaz trotter, who has now earned $59,920 this year and $326,074 in his career. The win was one of two for driver Carlson.
In a $16,000 Winners Over Trot, Awsome Valley closed strongly along the passing lane for trainer-driver Carlo Poliseno to catch front-trotting Keystone Thomas (Daryl Bier) in the final strides for his third victory of the year, which was clocked in 1:54.3. The altered son of Valley Victory and Nannina Ambrosio, owned by Barbara Boese Trust, sat second from the start and won a three-horse charge, which included third-place finisher Cash On Delivery (Vince Copeland) in the win photo.
Maravich scored his second win in a row in a lifetime fastest 1:54.3 triumph in a $13,500 trot. The win was one of five for the sport's top dash-winning driver of 2013, Corey Callahan. Callahan also clicked with trotter Cantabulous and pacers All Shuttle, First Royal N, and Hello Camie.
(With files from Dover Downs)