Dover, DE — Bettor Memories ($5.00) rallied from off the pace to capture the $32,500 Preferred Pace on Thursday night (Feb. 13) at Dover Downs.

Bo Mach and Wiggle It Jiggleit battled for early position, with Wiggle It Jiggleit vacating an early pocket to take charge at the end of a :27.4 first quarter. Wiggle It Jiggled continued on to the half in :55.4 before facing a first-over threat from Closing Statement up the backstretch. While Wiggle It Jiggleit faced heavier pressure to three-quarters in 1:23.3, Bettor Memories was carried into contention from third-over.

At the head of the stretch, Wiggle It Jiggleit surrendered the lead to Closing Statement, but Bettor Memories and Dexter Dunn launched a three-wide blast to win by a widening 1-3/4 lengths in 1:51.4. Q’s Cruise was a fast closing second, and Closing Statement held third. Wiggle It Jiggleit faded to finish last in the six-horse field.

Richard ‘Nifty’ Norman trains Bettor Memories, a 7-year-old Bettor’s Delight gelding, for Gus Dovi.

In the sub-featured $30,000 Blue Hen Open Pace, Proper One ($21.80) narrowly reached from an earned pocket to post a second consecutive win. Andy McCarthy yielded the lead with the 6-year-old Proper Respect gelding after a :26.1 quarter, allowing Slick Tony to control middle fractions of :54.1 and 1:22.3. Proper One showed his toughness late after exerting early, finding a seam on the inside to win by a nose in 1:51.1 over Slick Tony and Sicily.