Delco Willobee proved worthy of trainer-driver John De Long’s confidence last night at Running Aces in the track's $9,000 weekly feature.
The four-year-old held on for a head victory over a full field of open pacers. The altered son of Ft Apache Hanover, who De Long calls “one of the best horses I’ve ever driven,” moved to the lead just past the :27.1 opening quarter. He then cruised through middle fractions of :56.1 and 1:24 before throwing a :28.3 final quarter to complete the victory in 1:52.3.
The clocking was two seconds off Delco Willobee’s finest winning effort at Balmoral Park, but it did equal the Running Aces record for four-year-old pacing geldings. De Long’s father, Jesse, of Clinton, Wisconsin, owns the triumphant pacer. At Last (driven by Dean Magee) was second. Thedeadliestcatch (Lemoyne Svendsen) finishing third.
The win was one of three for John De Long, who also scored with bottom claimer Amy Ellen for conditioner Dan Poprawski and the De Long Stable’s conditioned pacer Chickiechickiewawa.
Leading driver Dean Magee also notched a hat trick on Sunday, as he guided Whata Huckster, Kristys Keen and S S Future to the winner’s circle for trainers Jeff Ryan, Dale Visnovec and Dan Epp, respectively.
The Sunday night handle of $183,827 was just $3,000 shy of the all-time record set a week before a recent government-imposed three-week shutdown.
Running Aces will resume live racing on Tuesday and Wednesday nights with 7:00 p.m. (CST) first-race post times.
(With files from Running Aces)