All three of the most heavily publicly supported sophomore trotting fillies in Monday's 20,000 Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund (DSBF) second leg divisions at Dover Downs came through for their supporters and connections.
I Got Spunk, piloted by Brett Miller, scored the fastest win of the three divisions. The Super Punk-Gogetitdun bay, owned and trained by Leigh Raymer of the Tyler Raymer Stable, was never in doubt notching a 1:57.2 lifetime best clocking. She has won three of five this year and five of 11 lifetime, only twice being off the board. For the second straight week, Silence Is Bliss (Eddie Davis Jr.) finished second, while Princess EB (Vic Kirby) made up for breaking stride last time out by finishing third.
Rich Lombardo and JJ&M Stable’s My Fire Cloud Too won for the first time as Eddie Davis Jr. piloted her to a 2:00 front-end victory in the second $20,000 DSBF prelim. The daughter of CR Commando-Winbak Flame outlasted Dancing Shirley (George Dennis) with Mila Bella (Allan Davis) in third.
Penny Paratrooper extended her win streak to five-in-a-row -- with seven wins and a third in eight races -- holding off Callmemza (Jonathan Roberts) in the most contentious prelim. Ross Wolfenden drove the CR Commando-CR Penny Lane filly, who is owned and trained by Carlo Poliseno. She has now banked $119,500 in DSBF events. Cuddle Punk (Allan Davis) made a misstep at the start and quickly rallied to race most of the rest of the mile on the outside and still finish third.
The top eight-point getters in filly trot prelims return next Monday for $100,000 DSBF Final
On the regular card, in a $15,500 4&5-Year-Old Mares Winners-Over pace, Legacy Racing’s Empress Deo, driven by Jim Morand, revenged a second-place finish last time with a 1:52 win this week. Fashion Showdown (Brett Miller), the winner of this class last week, rallied from last in mid-backstretch to take second. Quotable Quotes (Ben Stafford Jr.) was the show horse. Empress Deo is a Rocknroll Hanover-Little Miss K four-year-old who won for the fourth time this year in nine starts with two seconds and two thirds, winning $53,363.
Valery, driven by Jonathan Roberts, won for the sixth time this year in nine starts, reducing her lifetime record to 1:51.4 taking a $14,000 Mares Winners-Over pace. The win by the Dream Away-Veneer mare was Foulk Stables’ second victory of the day. Hearts N Flowers (Allan Davis) was a strong second in front of the late closing Star Keeper (Wolfenden).
Foulk Stables also made the winners circle with Mystra (Marcus Miller). The 10-year-old Art Major-Pastrami Hanover mare won for the third straight time. It was her 48th career victory in 203 starts and raised her earnings to $595,971. Together Again N (Tony Morgan) was runner-up. San Fran Lady N (Wolfenden) was third.
Eddie Davis Jr. had a driving triple. Foulk Stables had three wins as an owner, with trainer Trish Foulk scoring a double. Trainer-owner Tim Torbert, drivers Brett Miller and Jim Morand had two wins each while Tony Morgan, who had two winners, was belatedly presented with a 15,000-wins plaque, during the card.
(with files from Dover)