Driver George Dennis picked right up where he left off last week when he drove 14 wins in four days, driving three winners including Springforth in the $24,000 Mares Open pace.
With a post position other than outside in his last four outings, Dennis left quickly with Springforth and then turned back an effort by $1-million winner Sassa Hanover, driven by Ross Wolfenden, on the backstretch to pull off with a :27.2 final quarter for a personal record 1:51.4 triumph in the week’s top distaff event. Empress Deo and Allan Davis closed strongly to finish second in front of Sassa Hanover.
Jeff Clark owns and trains the Artsplace-Spring Morning six-year-old who wins for the second time this year along with four seconds and two thirds. She has won $52,920 in 2016. It was her 18th career win good for $368,474 earnings.
KDK Standardbreds’ Apple Bottom Jeans, winner of both the Dover Downs and Harrington $100,000 Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund (DSBF) finals raced off to another big start chalking up an impressive 1:53.3 victory in the first of two $20,000 opening leg preliminaries for three-year-old filly pacers. Montrell Teague steered the black daughter of Mr Apples-Scylla Hanover to her sixth career win in seven starts for trainer Kevin Switzer. Eternal Ring (Jonathan Roberts) was second best with Mortgage Bags (Eddie Dennis) third.
Use Your Noodle pulled a mild surprise in the second $20,000 test. The Artzina-Gophobia brown filly defeated freshman defending champ Delle Donne (Callahan) in 1:53.3. Delle Donne, who had a perfect three-for-three wins going-in, finished second. She’s Brilliant (Davis) was the show horse.
Jim Morand drove the win for trainer Les Givens and owners Henry Faragalli III, Feeney, Johnson and Nanticoke Racing. The win was the first of the campaign for Use Your Noodle and fourth in her career with six seconds.
Vic Kirby drove Cougar Creek to victory in 1:53.4 in the third $20,000 DSBF filly pace. Trained by Jim King for his wife JoAnn Looney-King, the Dream Away-Fire One Up filly won easily besting Fiftyshadesofrusty (G. Dennis) and Motel Molly (Wolfenden).
(With files from Dover Downs)