by Marv Bachrad, publicity director, Dover Downs

Dover, DE —- Only six of the eight who started in last week’s Progress Pace Prevue answered the call for Sunday’s $301,650 Progress Pace Final. Also on the top Dec. 7 card is the $100,000 Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund (DSBF) Male Pace Final. Post time is 5:30 p.m. for the 15-race program

In the big one, McWicked, thanks to a $25,000 supplemental payment made by Ed James’ SSG Stable, scored an impressive 1:48.4 wire-to-wire victory with fellow millionaire JK Endofanera second and Matron upset winner Big Boy Dreams third in the Prevue.

All three return Sunday meeting fast rivals, All Bets Off, Somewhere In LA and National Debt.

Hall of Famer David Miller drove Breeders Crown winner McWicked, conditioned by Casie Coleman, one of Canada’s leading trainers, to victory in a wire-to-wire victory in the Progress Pace Prevue. Yannick Gingras will be in the bike behind 3 Brother Stable’s JK Endofanera for the sport’s leading trainer, Ron Burke. Big Boy Dreams, owned by Dominick Rosato, was the longshot winner of November’s recent $186,550 Matron Final and will be driven by another Hall of Famer, Ron Pierce.

All Bets Off, an 11-time winner this year for the ownership of Baldachino, Shelswell, Panhellenic and Burke Racing stable, has impressive credentials, winning the $500,000 Messenger Stake, $400,000 Milstein at Northfield and the New York Sire Stakes championship, will be in the hands of Matt Kakaley. The other upset minded participants are J&T Silva, TLP stables and Deo Volente Farms’ Somewhere In LA, with Tim Tetrick driving for trainer Jimmy Takter and National Debt, owned by Blair and Emma Corbeil, Kelly Hoerdt and J&T Silva Stables’. National Debt is trained by Ron Coyne with Corey Callahan in the driver’s seat.

In the $100,000 DSBF freshman pace final, Remember Me VK (Montrell Teague), fresh from a decisive 1:51.4 victory prelim win, the all-time fastest win in the DSBF program. Bobby Wyatt trains for owners Ron Benton and Sharon Wyatt. Last week, Sonofa Sizzle, owned by Mike White and trained by Gary Green, was a strong second. Hall of Famer David Miller will be in the bike.

Howard Taylor’s Smoking Joey brings a three-race win streak with Corey Callahan at the controls for meet leading trainer Doug Lewis. Art Stafford Jr. will pilot Scott Woogen’s homebred KJ Ben who along with Dashboard racing for trainer Rich Ringler and owners Joann King and Maria Ringler are the only other starters to win a prelim.

Dover Downs races Sundays at 5:30 p.m. and weekdays, Monday through Thursday beginning at 4:30 p.m.

The DSBF 2-year-old $100,000 championship heads the Monday card. An $18,000 Open trot is the feature on the regular card.