Spoonful and Luv Is Blind used different methods to score first leg victories in $20,000 Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund (DSBF) preliminaries for three-year-old filly trotters on Wednesday, March 29 at Dover Downs. Tough Mac used the passing lane to win the $20,000 Open Trot. Tetrick won five races again.
Jim Morand and Spoonful came on strong after the three-quarters on the way to a 2:00.1 win in the first $20,000 division. The winner of last November’s $100,000 final bided her time in fourth-place until pulling out to race alongside leader Political Energy (Corey Callahan) around the final turn then rolled on for her first win of the season. The Political Briefing-Sanctions filly now has won $114,512 lifetime for trainer Les Givens and owners Delbert Cain and Nanticoke Racing. A Chorus Line (Jason Thompson) finished third.
Vic Kirby put Luv Is Blind right to the lead and never faltered en route to a 2:00 eight-length triumph in the second of two DSBF filly trots. Leigh Raymer conditions the Keystone Activator-Iluvulikealuvsong bay, who posted runner-up finishes in last year's DSBF finals and was making her first start of the year. Gogh Cinorita (Ross Wolfenden) was second in front of Ohtobetheone (Tony Morgan).
The DSBF spotlight will be on a fast group of freshman colt and gelding pacers on Thursday. The second leg prelims are set next week with $20,000 male trots on Monday, female pacers on Tuesday, filly trotters on Wednesday and male pacers on Thursday. The top eight point-earners qualify for $100,000 DSBF finals during the final week of the meet, April 10-13.
Tough Mac usually is a wire-to-wire winner. In Wednesday's $20,000 Open Trot, Corey Callahan got the Lockkeeper-Traditional Lady gelding away fastest, but when Gural Hanover (Morgan) took over, Tough Mac was content to race behind the leader and then closed quickly in the lane to score a 1:52.2 victory, equalling his lifetime mark. Wind Of The North (Sean Bier) was third ahead of $3.7-million winner Market Share (Tim Tetrick). Dylan Davis trains the winner.
Tim Tetrick duplicated his five-win performance from Tuesday, with two Wednesday wins for trainer Scott DiDomenico. Corey Callahan, Tony Morgan and Ross Wolfenden each had two winning drives.
(With files from Dover Downs)