The 14th edition of the $150,000 Bobby Quillen Memorial and two-year-old eliminations for the first leg of Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund (DSBF) stakes action headline the September 20 program at Harrington Raceway.
The Quillen Memorial has historically drawn some of racing’s top aged pacers over the years including the likes of Foiled Again, Wiggle It Jiggleit, Maltese Artist, Mister Big, etc. The race honours the memory of the popular longtime Delaware legislator who was an avid harness racing fan and always had the horsemen’s interests at heart.
This year’s event is the ninth race on the 14-race program and includes a deep field whose career bankroll is in excess of $5 million.
O'Brien Award winner Tattoo Artist (2-1, Tim Tetrick) is the morning line favourite for owners Let It Ride Stables, Diamond Creek Racing and J&T Silva. Trained by Chris Ryder while racing stateside, the four-year-old Hes Watching stallion has 17 wins from 38 career starts and lifetime earnings of $1,052,734. He has dazzling mark of 1:47.1 set at the Meadowlands on August 7 and followed up that performance with a 1:49 Canadian record win in an Invitational at Georgian Downs.
Local horse Jacks Legend N (3-1, Pat Berry) drew the coveted rail and is riding the wave of a two-race win streak over the track despite outside posts for trainer and co-owner Josh Green. Green and partners Rich Lombardo, David Kryway and Eric Good own the seven-year-old Bettors Delight gelding, who has banked nearly $600,000 in his career.
Nicholas Beach (5-1, Vincent Ginsburg) drew the dreaded outside post eight, which is where he started in the September 11 Ewart Memorial at Scioto Downs, when he was a strong second place finisher for trainer/co-owner Jen Bongiorno and owners John Lengacher and Michael Cote. The five-year-old Somebeachsomewhere gelding has been first or second in all 11 starts this year.
The field also includes top aged pacers Bronx Seelster (5-1, Montrell Teague), Southwind Ozzi (5-1, Marcus Miller), None Bettor A (12-1, Mark Macdonald), Sectionline Bigry (20-1, Victor Kirby) and Shoobee Doo A (20-1, Corey Callahan).
On the undercard, four $20,000 DSBF divisions for two-year-old male pacers will be contested in an all-stakes pick four (Races 2-5). A total of 26 horses fulfill the divisions, which are comprised of lightly raced horses as only two have previous wins. George Teague Jr.’s Cntnobdytelmenothn (2-1, Montrell Teague) has a 1:54.3 win on his resume at Harrah’s Philadelphia. The Southwind Lynx-Cahills Fancy gelding is trained by Clyde Francis and drew post seven in the second division, which is the thirdrd race. Kdk Standardbreds’ Heinikin Bythebay (7-5, Jason Thompson) has visited the winner’s circle twice already in his young career, with a pair of wins at Harrington and mark of 1:55.4. The Southwind Lynx-Sally Pansen gelding is trained by Kevin Switzer and is the early favourite in the third division, slated as the fourth race on the program.
DSBF action will continue on Tuesday with three divisions of pacing fillies and on Wednesday with four divisions of trotters.
(With files from Harrington Raceway)