Three of the leading contenders for Dan Patch U.S. Harness Writers Association’s 2012 Three-Year-Old Colt Pacer of the Year Award match strides in one of two $29,444 Matron eliminations this Sunday at Dover Downs.
Heston Blue Chip, trained by Linda Toscano for owner Ken Jacobs, racked up his second straight sub-1:50 performance last Sunday to win Dover Downs' signature event, the $270,000 Progress Pace. Tim Tetrick drove him to a 1:49 success after pacing the opening quarter in :25.2. All Star Racing’s Bolt The Duer scored a 1:51.2 win over Yonkers' half-mile track to win the $415,820 Messenger Stake with Canadian Mark McDonald in the bike. Frank Bellino’s Pet Rock was a wire-to-wire 1:51.4 winner of last week’s $215,000 Windy City Pace chauffeured by Doug McNair.
They will face Escape The News, Easy Again, Mel Mara and Hillbilly Hanover.
The other competitive $29,444 section boasts $1.1-million winner Thinking Out Loud, who races for Robert McIntosh and CSX stables and Al McIntosh Holdings with Hall of Famer John Campbell at the controls. Also lining up behind the starting gate will be Bettors Edge, Mcerlean, Shady Breeze, Major Bombay and Im The Pied Piper.
The top four finishers in each elimination return for the $250,000 (est.) final on Sunday, December 2.
(Dover Downs)