The richest card of the season welcomed fair goers Thursday night at the annual Governor’s Day program at Harrington Raceway during the Delaware State Fair.
Approximately $600,000 in purse money was at stake on the card, most of it in four $100,000 Delaware Standardbred Breeders Finals for three-year-olds.
Long standing races for older horses were also contested such as the $50,000 Governor’s Cup, $35,000 Legislator’s Cup (In Memory of Thurman Adams, Jr.), $35,000 Charles Murphy, Jr. Memorial Trot and $25,000 President’s Cup.
Memorial races were also held in memory of Walter Messick, Sam Mathews, Del and Dorothy Manges and John Frazer, Jr. and John Frazer III.
The Governor’s Cup featured a strong showing for owner/trainer/driver Jason Lynch who had the first and third place finishers. Lynch/s Gunslinger Hill ($48.20, Lynch) prevailed off a pocket trip to win by a half-length over Big City Bud in 1:53. Lynch's Mcboogity finished third. A six-year-old Bettors Delight gelding, Gunslinger Hill notched his fourth win of the season.
In DSBF final action, David Hamm and Glenn Phillips’ Tobago Time ($38.60, Allan Davis) was a 1:54.3 winner in the pacing filly final over Stealing Bases and Rowdy One. Tobago Time and Davis capitalized on an early miscue by 1-9 favourite Littlebagoftricks and scored her fifth career win. The Tobago Cays filly surpassed $100,000 in career earnings for trainer Chuck Crissman, Jr.
Davis scored another DSBF final win with Kim Caulder’s Kims Command ($6) in the filly trot final in 1:59.2. The CR Commando filly reeled in game pacesetter Whitesville Beulah, with a blazing :27.4 last quarter for a half-length win. Jazzy Judy was third. Trained by John Wilkerson, it was her first win of the season after finishing second in five of six starts.
The Wiz Kids Stable’s First State Joni ($11, Barton Dalious) was a 1:54.4 wire-to-wire winner over a pair of Clyde Francis-trainees, Subban and Henrico. The Delmarvalous colt received a confident steer from Dalious, who was driving for his father/trainer Bart Dalious. It was the fourth lifetime win for First State Joni.
In the male trotting final, overwhelming favourite Big Al M ($2.10, Eric Davis) was a decisive winner in 1:59.2 for owner Bobby Myers. Driven by his trainer Davis, the Anders Bluestone gelding improved to four for four this year and nine of 11 lifetime and has dominated his DSBF rivals with a career bankroll in excess of $210,000. Big Al M was a front-end winner by two lengths over Vlahos and Rhett.
Scuola Hanover ($3.40, Art Stafford, Jr.) was a 1:52.3 winner in the Legislator’s Cup for owners Art and trainer Andrew Stafford and Thomas Ireland. Owner/trainer Andrew Glassmeyer’s Embrace The Grind ($4.20, Corey Callahan) captured the Charles Murphy, Jr. Memorial Trot in 1:57.2.
Louis Tomczak’s Proper One ($2.80, Tim Tetrick) won the President’s Cup for the second time in his career for trainer Carlo Poliseno.
The summer circuit of racing will resume at Harrington Raceway on August 16 with a 4:30 p.m. post time.
(Harrington Raceway)