Dover Downs will host juvenile stakes action on Thursday, November 8, as colt and filly pacers and trotters will contest Matron Stakes finals during a card that will see more than $727,000 in purses on the line.
The colt trotters compete in a $158,000 non-wagering event led by Jimmy Takter trainee Super Schissel, who enters off a fourth-place finish in the $600,000 Breeders Crown final. Owned by Al Libfeld and Perry Soderberg, the Uncle Peter colt has three wins to his credit from 11 starts and $157,160 banked. Yannick Gingras sits in the bike from post one in the four-horse affair.
Breeders Crown runner-up When Dovescry competes from post one in the $177,800 filly trot as the 5-2 morning-line favourite. Coming into the stakes foray with victories in the International Stallion Stakes at The Red Mile and by winning her elimination in the Breeders Crown, the Rene Allard-trained Muscle Hill filly finished second-best to undefeated Woodside Charm in the Breeders Crown final. Rene’s brother Simon Allard maintains driving duties for owners Go Fast Stable, Yves Sarrazin, Kapildeo Singh and Lawrence Dumain.
Ohio Sires Stakes champion Queen Of The Pride goes as the morning-line favourite in the $179,100 filly pace. Conditioned by Kevin Lare for owner Frank Chick, the filly by McArdle has five wins from 13 starts and over $300,000 earned. She enters off an eighth-place finish in the Breeders Crown final and starts from post six with Mike Cole in the bike.
With just one win but eight top-three finishes from 10 starts this season, Semi Tough enters the $213,000 colt pace as the early favourite from post one. Despite the single victory, the colt by Somebeachsomewhere has nonetheless accrued over $300,000 in earnings for owners Burke Racing Stable LLC, Frank Baldachino, Jerry and Theresa Silva Stable, Purnel & Libby and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. Matt Kakaley will drive Semi Tough for trainer Ron Burke
The non-wagering event goes before the pari-mutuel card at 4:15 p.m. (EST) with the Thursday program getting underway at 4:30 p.m. (EST). The stakes action continues with race six ($177,800 filly trot), race eight ($179,100 filly pace) and race 10 ($213,000 colt pace).