Artistic Director lived up to his odds-on favourite’s role scoring a 1:52.4 victory in the $100,000 Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund (DSBF) Three-Year-Old Colt & Gelding Pace Final on Thursday’s meet-closing day at Dover Downs.
Hot Roddy carved out the fractions for George Dennis with Golden Gun (Montrell Teague) prompting the pace early. Jim Morand and Ilikethemtrashy led the charge down the backstretch followed by Artistic Director, who was hustling up for Corey Callahan before going three-wide on the final turn.
The gelded son of Art Director-Demotta Bing, trained by Bobby Clark, recorded his fourth consecutive victory of the meet chalking up a 1:52.4 decision in the biggest race of his short career. Hot Roddy was a game second with Ilikethemtrashy taking third money. Golden Gun never saw the rail and still finished fourth.
Kovach Stables, who owns the pacer’s stallion, Art Director, and Tina Clark own the winner who now has won six of 13 lifetime races and $114,720 in purses.
Al Windon’s Ambush The Bags scored a 1:54.3 triumph - the first of two for Allan Davis - in the $20,000 DSBF consolation pace. The Roddys Bags Again-Ambush Killean gelding trained by Billy Moffett was followed by Quick Rod (Jim Morand) and Buzz Mcqueen (Corey Callahan).
Nova Artist, last season’s Horse of the Meet, displayed his patented late kick to get up in a personal best 1:49.2 to win the $35,000 Preferred Handicap. Allan Davis began his path to victory in mid-backstretch quickly catching up with the battling leaders and whirling past for a convincing victory. Malak Uswaad N (Vic Kirby) was second with Europan Union (Jim Morand) hanging on for third after a strong overland journey.
The victory was one of four for Allan Davis who drove the Real Artist-Avon Lady six-year-old for his trainer brother Martin, and their parents, owners Kathy and Eddie Davis.
During the race day, Corey Callahan was honoured for his fourth consecutive leading driver title; Josh Green won his ninth track leading trainer award, this being the eighth straight season; and Versado, owned by KDM Stables and trained by Nick Surick, was voted Horse of the Meet by the Delaware Valley chapter U.S. Harness Writers Association (USHWA) members.
The 2012-2013 Dover Downs live racing season is now complete. Delaware live harness continues at Harrington Raceway on April 21.
(Dover Downs)