Trainer Clyde Francis started seven Delaware-breds in Thursday’s four divisions of the Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund for three-year-old male pacers at Dover Downs, and he sent out a set of winners in the opening-leg festivities.
Henry The Dragon toyed with five rivals in the first $20,000 DSBF thanks to his wire-to-wire triumph in 1:52 with Montrell Teague at the controls. A son of a former Teague’s stakes winner Custard The Dragon, Henry The Dragon scored his second win of the year and the seventh of his career. Unbroken Vision (Corey Callahan) was a game second in front of Almost Cut My Hair (Vic Kirby) third.
Montrell Teague got the lead early guiding Daiymir in his first lifetime start and never was headed the rest of a 1:52.4 mile holding off the DSBF colt champion Bags To Riches (Tim Tetrick) by a length in another $20,000 prelim. Wake Up And Go (Callahan) was the show horse.
Rivers Crest notched a 1:53.2 triumph in the third division for owner-trainer Art Stafford, Jr. who owns the Roddys Bags Again-Eastern Lady colt with his dad, brother and well-known auctioneer, Larry Martin. Aint It Fun was second, with l Art Of Fire was third.
The last $20,000 DSBF prelim was won by fast finishing Automatic Dragon owned by Tina and Brian Clark and trained by Bobby Clark. James Isaac (Tony Morgan) made a big move on the backstretch to get the lead but could not hold off the Vic Kirby driven winner in 1:53.1. Race favourite Stay In You Place (M.Teague) collected third money.
Under new ownership but still the same quality racehorse, Major Uptrend, now owned by trainer Tim Crissman and Niss Allen Inc, the Somebeachsomewhere-Tricky Tooshie gelding handled by Tony Morgan held off Limelight Beach (Yannick Gingras) for a 1:49.3 victory in the $30,000 Preferred Handicap pace. Sweet Rock (Allan Davis) wad third.
Corey Callahan drove Jet Airway to a 1:51 win in a $20,000 Open Pace. The Jeremes Jet-Aromatic six-year-old owned by Mike Casalino and trainer Dylan Davis won for the third time this meet and 65th in his career while banking $477,930. Poisonous (Ross Wolfenden) closed strongly for second. Rangers Sureshot (Morgan) took third.
(With files from Dover Downs)