Dover, DE — Don and David Wiest’s Tuis Star rolled to her fifth consecutive win in the second of two $20,000 second-round Delaware Standardbred Breeders’ Fund (DSBF) events for 2-year-old trotting fillies on Monday (Nov. 17) at Bally’s Dover and, in doing so, stamped herself as the likely odds-on favorite in next week’s $110,000 series final with what was her fifth consecutive victory.
With Corey Callahan again at the controls for trainer David Wiest, Tuis Star left from post 5 and cleared Suburban Lady (driven by Troy Beyer) to control splits of :30.1, 1:00.2 and 1:30.3. The daughter of E L Platinum-Tui turned on the jets through a :28.4 closing sectional, sprinting to a career-best 1:59.2 mile time and putting 11 lengths on Belle’ Natania (Trae Porter), who narrowly collared Suburban Lady for runner-up honors.
In her five DSBF wins, Tuis Star has beaten her competition by a combined 36-1/4 lengths. She has earned $98,120 in her career.
Emerys Angel likewise swept her preliminary divisions, posting a lifetime-best 2:00.4 win in the first section.
Art Stafford Jr. secured the top spot with the Top Flight Angel-Judy Luns filly through a :29.2 quarter, made easy work of the first-over Rainingrainbows (Allan Davis) on the far turn, and accelerated home in :29 to keep pocket rival Wolfpack One (Beyer) 1-1/4 lengths at bay. Sheas Bluestone (Mark A. King) rallied mildly for third, another seven lengths behind.
Trainer Stacy Johnson-Stafford co-owns Emerys Angel, now a two-time winner with $38,800 in earnings, with Wyatt Starkey.
Tuis Star and Emerys Angel lead the eight qualifiers for next Monday’s (Nov. 24) series championship, and will be joined by: Wolfpack One, Suburban Lady, Belle’ Natania, Sheas Bluestone, Rainingrainbows and Angelic Valentine.
Rookie male trotters take center stage at Bally’s Dover on Tuesday (Nov. 18), competing in a pair of $20,000 second-round events carded as the first and fourth races on the 15-race program. First post is 4:30 p.m. (EST).