Lunar Phase, last week a 40-1 longshot winner, is now the Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund (DSBF) Three-Year-Old Filly Pace champion after winning the Delaware-sired title on Tuesday (April 11) at Dover Downs.
Art Stafford Jr. trains, drives and co-owns Lunar Phase with Wyatt Starkey. She enjoyed a two-hole trip in the $100,000 DSBF final behind race favourite Logans Girl (Vic Kirby), who had a three-race win streak at race time. In the stretch, Stafford pulled out and overtook the leader with Lunar Phase, who scored a lifetime fastest 1:52.1 victory.
“She was underdeveloped last year and only raced five times with one win, but she came back stronger this year,” said Stafford.
The daughter of Roddys Bags Again-Blue Moon Artist was bred by Dr. Bill Moffett.
Logans Girl went the biggest mile of her career and finished second. Diva Demands (Corey Callahan) edged Free Flight Fran (Ross Wolfenden) for third-place. Spanish Dream was scratched.
The $20,000 DSBF consolation was all Westwind Roddylee, a wire-to-wire 1:54.1 winner for driver Tim Tetrick, trainer Jason Skinner and owners Joel and Dianne Halpern. The win was the first of 2017 for the Roddys Bags Again-Lees Best homebred. It was her fifth win lifetime bringing her bankroll to $60,460.
In the $20,000 Mares Open Handicap, Montrell Teague, who won four races, sent Apple Bottom Jeans right to the front from post seven and was in charge the rest of a 1:51 mile. The four-year-old Mr Apples-Scylla Hanover mare scored her fourth win of the year and 13th lifetime in 29 starts to go along with 10 seconds, extending her total purse earnings to $365,824 for KDK Standardbreds. Shine N Simmer (Callahan) was a strong second with 23-1 In The Shadows (Tony Morgan) third.
The third of four $100,000 DSBF Finals is set for Wednesday, headed by three-year-old trotting fillies Spoonful, Love Is Blind and Willow Mill Anna in an eight-horse field. Tough Mac will leave from the outside meeting Gural Hanover, Wind Of The North, Celebrity Pegasus, Market Share and Streamsong in a powerhouse field of six in the $20,000 Open Handicap Trot.
This is the final week of Dover Downs’ 48th season, which continues Wednesday and Thursday, with post time at 4:30 p.m. daily. Thursday, April 13, is closing day of the Dover Downs meet.
(With files from Dover Downs)