Driver Ron Pierce's four-win night at Dover Downs included wins in the two feature events.
Mustang Art won the $28,500 Delaware Special, Emeritus Maximus captured the 4&5-Year-Old Open and Dirty Devil was victorious in the $15,000 Winners-Over pace on a top Dover Thursday card on March 6.
Pierce left quickly with Mustang Art in the feature $28,500 Delaware Special before giving up the lead to Nova Artist (Allan Davis) at the quarter. Nova Artist cut out the fast pace and led half way down the lane before Mustang Art zoomed out and to victory in a :26.4 final panel for a 1:51.1 decision. Nova Artist held on to second while Jeremys Successor (Sean Bier) raced gamely three-wide around the final turn and got up for third.
Max Walton and Greg Papaleo own Mustang Art, an Artiscape-Paula Seelster gelding, who won for the second time this year lifting the Jim McGuire-trainee to seasonal earnings of $32,575.
Pierce was also behind John Cancelliere’s Emeritus Maximus, a 1:51.1 winner of the $18,000 Open for young horses. Wahine (Jim Morand) closed strongly to finish second with Ice Scraper (Roger Plante) streaking along the passing lane for third.
A son of Rocknroll Hanover-Eternitys Delight, who raced at Dover last year in the Progress Pace, Emeritus Maximus won his first race for Cancelliere since topping the 2014 January Select Mixed Sale.
Corey Callahan and Dirty Devil teamed up for a 1:51 score in the $15,000 Winners-Over pace. Owned by Alexander Rice Sr. and Mike Horn, the Real Artist-Ms Eyes And Thighs gelding made it four wins in seven 2014 races and a $27,200 bankroll this year. Bad Man Sam (Vic Kirby) was next while Beavercreek Artist (Pierce) was third.
In the first of two $14,500 4&5-Year-Old Male Winners-Over paces, Rebel Soldier, bred, owned and trained by Steve Warrington and driven by Vic Kirby, registered his fastest lifetime victory in 1:50.2, overtaking Just A Jolt (Trace Tetrick) in deep stretch for his second win in three trips this year. An altered son of Quik Pulse Mindale-Heavy Thunder, Rebel Soldier ended a three-race win streak by Just A Jolt. Cruising West (Ross Wolfenden) was the show horse.
Another streak ended in the other $14,500 division when Ron Pierce picked up his fourth win in 1:52.3 piloting Troy and Todd Tribbett’s Alittleaintenough, conditioned by Joe Hundertpfund, to his second win of the year. The Artiscape-Maryland Beauty gelding bested race-favourite Sea Harrier (Tetrick), who finished second making his record four wins in six starts. Coopers Beach (Jonathan Roberts) was third.
Pierce also drove Wade Wyatt’s Manhattan Rusty N, trained by Joe Skowyra, to his fifth consecutive victory in a $25,000-$30,000 Male Claiming Allowance in a career fastest clocking of 1:50.3. Bondy N (Wolfenden) and Hasty Western (A.Davis) were second and third respectively.
Howard Taylor’s Spinfiniti won his third straight and seventh win in eight races, to win a $13,000 4&5-Year-Old Male pace in 1:53.4. On Eagles Wings (Kirby) was next in front of MG Kid (Morand), who made a misstep on the final turn and then closed to finish third.
(with files from Dover)