Dover Downs will open its tradition six-month-long racing season on Halloween Day, Sunday, October 31
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The Dover action will continue through to April 14, 2011. Dover Downs Race Secretary Rod Newhart will again direct the 131-day program.
Beginning with its first full weekend, November 6 and 7, Dover Downs' November and early December racing is outstanding, headed by $4 million in stakes purses and which will feature some of the sport's outstanding juveniles. The estimated $450,000 Progress Pace -- the track's signature event -- will showcase the sport's standout three-year-olds. Other major events include the sport's oldest continuing stakes, the prestigious divisions of the Matron Stakes. The Matrons will feature top two and three-year-old colt and filly pacers and trotters which will vie for eight lucrative divisions.
Defending meet champions, driver Cory Callahan and trainer Josh Green, will head a strong group of prominent horsemen. Previous track-leading drivers Tony Morgan, Tim Tetrick and Jim Morand, Hall of Famer Ron Pierce, and veteran Ross Wolfenden will head a strong driver colony.
Other popular drivers are George Dennis, Eddie Davis, Jr., Roger Plante and Eric Goodell. During the early stages of the upcoming meet, the sport's most heralded drivers are expected to be on hand, especially for the strong stakes events. Brian Sears, Hall of Famer John Campbell, Andy Miller and David Miller should be frequently found driving at the track.
Last season, Josh Green earned leading trainer honours at the track for the fifth consecutive season, as his stable won 68 races. A standout list of talented conditioners will form the track's trainer roster, including last season's runner-up, Tim Crissman, George Teague, Jr., Chuck Crissman, Bobby Myers, George Dennis and Steve LeBlanc.
The Dover Downs November and December months could determine a number of the sport's trotting and pacing divisional titles.
Saturday, November 6 will showcase elimination for all four Matron two-year-old divisions. Each of the freshman finals will be carded on the following Saturday, November 13.
On November 7, the track will boast a powerhouse Sunday program. In addition to the $35,000 Progress Pace elims -- in which the top eight finishers will advance to an estimated $350,000 final on November 15 -- a $25,000 Matron consolation will also be carded. The Matron Stakes will also begin with three Matron elims for three-year-olds on the Sunday card. The Matron sophomore pace is the exception, as elims has been scheduled for November 21 elims. The lucrative final will take place Sunday, November 28.
Also in November, the 'First State'-sired two-year-olds will begin the Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund (DSBF) stakes on Saturday, November 20 and Sunday, November 21 (the first of consecutive-week $20,000 preliminaries). All four $110,000 DSBF finals for trotters will take place on Saturday, December 4, while the pacing finals will be contested on Sunday, December 5.
(With files from Dover)