I Like My Boss, Briefs Or Boxers and Bosston BNZ won their first leg $20,000 Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund (DSBF) $20,000 Three-Year-Old Male Trot preliminaries on Wednesday, March 27 at Dover Downs.
Unbeaten I Like My Boss extended his win streak to five as Jonathan Roberts steered the altered son of Don Boss Vita-Wild One to an easy 2:01.1 victory in the first $20,000 prelim. Jimmy and Ashley Parsons and Bobby Shahan bred and own the 2013 DSBF champion, who is a winner of two races this year and $85,000 in lifetime earnings. Call Me Hal (Vic Kirby) finished second in front of Boos The Boss (Allan Davis).
Owner, trainer and driver Carlo Poliseno and Briefs Or Boxers got up in the last step to win the second DSBF prelim, edging Winmando (Frank Milby) in 2:01. LGs Pride (Jim Morand) had the lead in the stretch and held on for third. The victory was the second in nine starts to go along with a second and two thirds for the Political Briefing-Prestigious Roz gelding.
Bosston BNZ made his first start of the year a successful one scoring a 2:00 triumph in the third $20,000 prelim. Art Stafford Jr. trains, drives and owns the winner with Eli Beiler. The Don Boss Vita-Rompaway Ruth gelding now has two wins, three seconds and two thirds in seven lifetime races. Odessa (Kim Vincent) was the runner-up with My Boy Charlie (Roger Plante) the show finisher.
DSBF second leg events will be held all next week, with the trotting colts and geldings back next Wednesday. The top eight point-getters after two weeks return for a $100,000 final on April 9.
On the regular program, Enrico AS won for the second time in three weeks coming from behind to notch a career fastest 1:55.1 victory in the $15,500 Winners Over Trot. Hall of Famer Ron Pierce was in the bike for trainer Eric Ell and owners Ken Wood, Bill Dittmar and Steve Iaquinta. Race leader Spunky Jack (Roger Plante) held on for second. Awsome Valley (Tony Morgan) was a close third. A chestnut gelding son of Allstar Hall-Caspian, Enrico AS has earned $34,460 this year and $205,988 lifetime.
Mach Lady, the winningest horse at the meet this year, and Jim Morand, won for the sixth time in seven starts, rolling to a 1:54 victory in a $6,500 mares pace.
George Dennis led all drivers with three winners. Pierce, with two wins, is currently in third-place in the driver standings (115). Allan Davis, fourth in the standings, and Tony Morgan had doubles.
Emeritus Maximus steps up to the $30,000 Preferred Pace meeting Nova Artist and Believe This Bob in the Thursday feature.
(With files from Dover Downs)