Dover, DE — First State Joni ($3.40) established himself as the colt to beat in next week’s $100,000 Delaware Standardbred Breeders’ Fund final for sophomore male pacers, coasting to a 1:54.1 win in his $20,000 second-round preliminary split on Thursday (Dec. 9) at Dover Downs.

First State Joni was never in doubt in his second-round preliminary event of the DSBF series for 3-year-old male pacers at Dover Downs.

The Wiz Kids Stable LLC’s homebred son of Delmarvalous and Jonigold employed the same tactics he did in his 1:55.4 first-round score, sprinting to the lead at race’s outset and outpacing his foes throughout the one-mile journey. Barton Dalious gunned First State Joni to the lead from post six, and the pair cleared Subban (Montrell Teague) midway on the first turn. First State Joni traveled uncontested through splits of :27, :56.1 and 1:24.4 on his way to a three-length victory. Subban defended second from Archie And Emerson (Dexter Dunn), who leveled off amid a mild first-over advance.

Bart Dalious trains seven-time winner First State Joni, who heads to next Thursday’s (Dec. 16) final with a career bankroll of $124,824.

Downtown Show vaulted from the pocket to win his DSBF division.

Downtown Show ($2.60) also became a two-time winner in the current DSBF series, riding the pocket through splits of :28.2, :57.2 and 1:26 before pulling on the final turn and vaulting past pacesetter Henrico to win by 1-1/4 lengths in 1:55.2. Allan Davis drove the Winbak Farm-bred son of Delmarvalous and Slow Down Rita, now a six-time winner, for trainer Les Givens and the partnership of Henry Faragalli III, Nanticoke Racing Inc. and Arthur Feeney.

Mr Overbite made amends for a break in the first round with a front-end score in the second. Fotowon photos.

Mr Overbite ($2.40) completed the trio of second-round winners, making amends for a break at the finish in the first division with a pillar-to-post 1:57.3 score over Justflirtingwithu. Montrell Teague drove the Southwind Lynx-Hustle Hard gelding; trainer and breeder Brenda Teague shares ownership of the three-time winner with Shane Griffith.

In addition to the aforementioned second-round winners, Squeak On By, Henrico, Subban, Justflirtingwithu and Spinologist earned berths to the final. All four DSBF finals for 3-year-olds are slated for the evening of Dec. 16, the final card at Dover before the track’s customary week-long winter holiday break.