Ultra-classy veteran trotter JM Vangogh is showing no signs of slowing down. On Wednesday night, he captured
his 63rd lifetime win in the top class at Dover Downs.
Tony Morgan and JM Vangogh made up three lengths in the stretch to overtake Chosen Voyageur and Corey Callahan in the feature $30,000 Open trot for a 1:53.4 victory. Paul and Wilma Chambers own the winner of over $2.2 million lifetime. It was Morgan's third win of the card and the 10-year-old son of Earl-Queen Tut's fourth win of the year in 10 starts while earning $66,300 in purses. Joey The Jet JT was third with Ross Wolfenden driving.
In the $16,000 sub-feature trot on the regular card, George Dennis took Black Tie, a horse he owns with his wife, Tina, and Joel Halpern, right to the front and cut out all fractions in a 1:55.1 career fastest victory, his fourth of the campaign. Master In Charge (Daryl Bier) came on for second in front of Jon Win (Jim Morand).
No Bad Luck with Montrell Teague at the controls, scored the fastest win of the second and last preliminary leg of the DSBF four $20,000 Filly pace divisions. Now unbeaten in two lifetime starts for Badlands Racing and George Teague, the Badlands Hanover-Gee Im Lucky filly turned in a 1:53.2 triumph. Iosmio (Bryan Truitt) and Lets Get Fizzical (Wolfenden) were second and third respectively.
John Croddick's Badlands Kate sailed down the passing lane for Tony Morgan to post a 1:55.2 victory in her DSBF section. Trained by Taylor Gower, the Badlands Hanover-Kerry Kate bay nipped front passing Model Legs (Corey Callahan) and Sun Land (Brad Hanners) in the three-horse photo.
Tony Morgan also drove Sucha Bad Girl to victory in 1:53.4 holding off a stretch charge from Briteolive (Eddie Dennis) at the wire. Preston Burris and Dave Hanauer owned the Badlands Hanover-Fieder De Dee filly trained by Lorie Davis. It was her first lifetime win. Naughty Indeed (Montrell Teague) was the third-place finisher.
Status Symbol closed with a rush to win the first of two filly trots in 1:58.4. A daughter of CR Commando-Armbro Ecstasy, with Vince Copeland in the bike for trainer Les Givens, won her first in two starts. She was a second in her prelim last week, for owners Delbert and Mike Cain and Nanticoke Racing. What Would You Do (Art Stafford Jr.) was second while early leader Golden Secret (Brandon Givens), a winner last week, was a close-up third.
The other $20,000 DSBF Filly prelim went even faster as Punks Embrace, winner of the DSBF $100,000 final at Harrington, won a three-horse photo in 1:57. It gave Vince Copeland a sweep of the two DSBF trots. Paul Wojtowicz trains the Super Punk-my Embrace filly for owner Marvin Meyer. Miss Snazz (Jim Morand) finished second with My Command To You (Hanners) third.
Monday through Thursday harness racing begins at 4:30 p.m. p.m. Friday is a dark day for racing. Saturday and Sunday post time is 5:30. The Dover Downs 2009-2010 season comes to a close on April 15.
(with files from Dover Downs)