Harrington Raceway hosted its annual Governor’s Day program Thursday during the Delaware State Fair, featuring the richest program of the season locally.
Four $100,000 Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund final races for three-year-olds comprised the majority of the $540,000 in total purses on the program.
Popular events for older horses like the $40,000 Governor’s Cup also comprised the 10-race program.
Legacy Racing and Reggie Hazzard’s Sicily ($3.60, Victor Kirby) won the aforementioned Governor’s Cup in 1:52.2 for trainer Wayne Givens. The seven-year-old Art Major gelding led most of the way and held off Late Mail N and Qs Cruise for his 27th win of his career. Governor John Carney presented the trophy to the winning connections.
Jason and Tim Skinner’s In And Out Again ($4.20, Tim Tetrick) won the DSBF pacing filly final in impressive fashion in 1:55.3. The Roddys Bags Again filly overcame post 8 for an easy win over stablemate Biggiessecondshot and Roddys At It Again. In And Out Again also won the earlier season final at Dover Downs. It was one of three wins on the card for Tetrick.
Rod Allen’s Disco Soliel ($7.20, Rod Allen) won the DSBF filly trotting final over Dark Dutchess and Miss Popeye in 1:59.1. The Cr Commando notched her 9th win in 12 career starts and won all four of her DSBF finals.
In the DSBF colt and gelding pacing final, Chillaxin Away ($5.20, Tetrick) scored a 1:56.2 win. The Roddys Bags Again gelding sat behind tiring pacesetter Goldberg and surged through the stretch for a decisive score over Haymitch and Aintnosunshine. The Jim King, Jr. trainee recorded his 10th career win and third in DSBF final action. The King, Jr. Stable also won the $20,000 President’s Cup with Little Ben ($4.20, Tetrick) in 1:52.
In the DSBF colt and gelding trotting final, Andrew Glassmeyer’s Embrace The Grind ($2.20, Jon Roberts) notched his 11th career win in 14 starts with a dominant 2:00 win over Rich N Royal and Just As Striking. Trained by his owner, the Keystone Activator gelding won 3-of-4 DSBF finals in his career and has more than $230,000 banked.
Fans were treated to a special appearance by two accomplished Delaware horses, both stabled in Harrington. Richard Poillucci, Jim King and Tim Tetrick’s Shartin N, trained by Jim King, Jr. and the current #1 ranked horse in the country, led the post parade for the third race and Gary and Barbara Iles’ Lather Up, who equalled the fastest mile in harness racing history earlier this month, led the post parade for the fourth race.
Lather Up is trained by Clyde Francis. Lather’s Up driver, Montrell Teague, was presented with a proclamation in between races by Governor Carney, Lt. Governor Bethany Hall-Long and US Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue acknowledging the 28-year-old driver’s career accomplishments, in particular being the regular driver of 2015 Horse of the Year Wiggle It Jiggleit and current stars such as Lather Up.
Bonnie Benson, John Johannsen, Andrew Stafford and Holly Case’s Artrageous ($3.80, Art Stafford, Jr.) scored a 1:53.1 win in the $30,000 Legislator’s Cup for trainer and co-owner Andrew Stafford.
Howard and Linda Dege’s Blownoutofthewater ($8.80, Tony Morgan) was a 1:57 winner in the $30,000 Charles Murphy, Jr. Memorial Trot for trainer Will Reynolds.
(Harrington Raceway)