Déjà Vu Blue, Super Fly, Go Sandy Go and Slick Tony captured their respective $100,000 Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund finals during Thursday’s closing card of season at Dover Downs.
With Delaware Gov. John Carney and members of his staff on hand, as usual a large crowd of fans turned out to watch the four state-bred three-year-old trotting and pacing finals, two 1:49.4 feature races and meet horsemen top honours presented.
Tim Tetrick was leading driver of the 81-day season. Tetrick finished with 11 wins more than Corey Callahan, who had won the previous seven titles in a row. Dylan Davis was leading trainer at the meet for the fifth consecutive season.
Free-For-Aller Sicily, who won five top features with sub-1:50 victories, won a tight ballot by Delaware Valley chapter U.S. Harness Writers Association members for the Horse of the Meet title.
On the track, Déjà Vu Blue, driven by Tim Tetrick, bested arch-rival Star Sapphire (Russell Foster) by a head to win the sophomore filly trotter event. Vandalous (Callahan) was third.
Super Fly overpowered seven rivals in 1:55.2 to win the $100,000 male trot with Art Stafford, Jr. in the bike. Bother Kenny (Tetrick) was runner-up, with Seafood Suzie Blue (Jason Green) third.
Go Sandy Go, with Jason Green driving, lowered her lifetime fastest mark to 1:53.2 romping to victory in the DSBF $100,000 filly pace. Gracefullyforgiven, with Art Stafford in the bike, was second in front of Studio Session (Sean Bier) third.
Slick Tony, owned by breeder George Leager and piloted by Russell Foster, took home the soph colt and gelding pace $100,000 championship with a 1:53.4 performance. Transitioning Joy (Teague), and Evolution Tour (Tetrick) were second and third.
Major Uptrend, with Tony Morgan in the bike, paced his fourth sub-1:50 mile of the meet scoring a 1:49.2 triumph in the $35,000 Preferred/Handicap. Sicily (Montrell Teague) was next, with Super Imposed N (Callahan) third.
Delaware harness racing now moves to Harrington Raceway with April 9 opening day.
(With files from Dover Downs)