The Progress Pace has drawn 11 competitors, scratched to 10, forcing a $35,000 elimination for the Wednesday (Nov. 18) card at Dover Downs.
With the overflow field, seven horses (with the early scratch) will have their nose on the gate while three will score from the second tier.
Trainer Ron Burke’s Cattlewash, who won the Matron Stake for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings, has been installed as the morning-line favourite at 5/2. The owners of No Lou Zing and Tattoo Artist supplemented into the race at a cost of $25,000 each.
Trainer Tony Alagna entered three starters: Capt Midnight, Captain Kirk and the Little Brown Jug winner Captain Barbossa. However soon after the draw, Capt Midnight was scratched.
The Progress Pace final will carry a purse of $325,000 and will be raced on the following Wednesday, Nov. 25.
First-race post time at Dover Downs is 4:30 p.m. (EST). Below is the field for the Progress Pace elimination (Note horses starting from posts 9-11 will start from the second tier):
PP. Horse (Trainer)
1. Catch The Fire (John Ackley)
2. No Lou Zing (Nancy Takter)
3. Cattlewash (Ron Burke)
4. Capt Midnight (Tony Alagna)—SCRATCHED
5. Captain Barbossa (Tony Alagna)
6. Indictable Hanover (Casie Coleman-Herlihy)
7. Manticore (Bruce Saunders)
8. Always And Again (Dylan Davis)
9. Tattoo Artist (Dr. Ian Moore)
10. Fortify (Nancy Takter)
11. Captain Kirk (Tony Alagna)
(with files from Dover Downs)