Millionaires headline sophomore Matrons

Dover, DE — Six millionaires are slated to take part in Thursday’s (Nov. 12) Grade 2 Matron Stakes for 3-year-olds at Bally’s Dover, with a quartet of them headlining the $124,800 Hap Hansen Matron, for sophomore male pacers.

The Hansen, carded as the 12th race on a 15-race program, will see Al Papi, Melillo, Odds On Mr Mamba and Fragment all look to build on their already stout bankrolls.

Al Papi, installed the 5-2 morning-line favorite, enters off a game first-over victory in the Grade 2 Monument Circle at Harrah’s Hoosier Park following his second-place finish to Brandon Blvd in the Grade 1 Breeders Crown 3-Year-Old Colt and Gelding Pace at Eldorado Scioto Downs. Regular driver Yannick Gingras will pilot the Papi Rob Hanover-Baron Remy colt, who has won 10 career races and earned $1.58 million, from post 2.

Al Papi is one of four Ron Burke trainees in the Hansen, along with Melillo, whose eight wins include the Grade 2 Carl Milstein Memorial and this year’s Pennsylvania Sire Stakes championship. A winner of $1.27 million, the Sweet Lou-Rosemary Rose colt will start from post 4 as the 7-2 morning-line second choice with Ronnie Wrenn Jr. at the lines.

The other two seven-figure earners in the field are Grade 1 Pepsi North America Cup winner Odds On Mr Mamba, whom Dexter Dunn will drive from post 5 for trainer Melanie Wrenn, and Messenger and two-time New York Sire Stakes champ Fragment, whom Jason Bartlett will drive from post 8 for trainer Petter Engblom.

Breeders Crown winner Diabolic Hill will look for his fourth consecutive win in the $124,200 Matron for 3-year-old male trotters, carded as race 10. The Muscle Hill-Crysti Dream colt has been installed the 5-2 morning-line favorite on the strength of his lifetime-best 1:50.4 win in the Breeders Crown, and Todd McCarthy will once again drive the earner of $1.08 million for trainer Annie Stoebe.

Among his top rivals are New York Sire Stakes champ AI (Dexter Dunn, post 6, 7-2), who makes his debut for Marcus Melander, and Minoan (Andy McCarthy, post 7, 9-2), who finished third in the Grade 1 Hambletonian.

Jugette winner Loua Dipa rounds out the sextet of millionaires, installed as the 5-2 morning-line choice in the $103,000 Matron for sophomore fillies, carded as race 8. The Sweet Lou-Looksgoodinaromper filly has won 16 of her 26 career starts on her way to $1.35 million in earnings to date, and Wrenn Jr. will again drive her for Burke from post 2 after they teamed up for a 1:49 win in the Grade 3 USS Indianapolis at Harrah’s Hoosier Park.

Jugette runner-up Darlin’s Angel (Lauren Tritton, post 5, 7-2) and Adioo Volo and New Jersey Classic winner Be Perfect BG (Louis-Philippe Roy, post 6, 9-2) are among the other main contenders.

The complete fields for Thursday’s Matron Stakes for 3-year-olds, with post positions, drivers, trainers and morning line odds:

$171,400 Grade 2 Matron Stakes 3-Year-Old Filly Trot (Race 6)

1. Chestnut Kelly (Tim Tetrick/Scott DiDomenico) 12-1
2. Julie Palema (Andy Miller/Julie Miller) 8-1
3. Ginger Tree Lex (Andy McCarthy/Sam Beegle) 10-1
4. Custom (Jason Bartlett/Petter Engblom) 5-2
5. R Ro (Todd McCarthy/John Butenschoen) 6-1
6. Who Dares Wins (Åke Svanstedt/Åke Svanstedt) 12-1
7. Little Road (Brady Brown/Roger Hammer) 7-2
8. Storybook Love (Todd Ratchford/Matthew Bax) 9-2

$103,000 Grade 2 Matron Stakes 3-Year-Old Filly Pace (Race 8)

1. Two Twenty Swift (Jason Bartlett/Deborah Daguet) 10-1
2. Loua Dipa (Ronnie Wrenn Jr./Ron Burke) 5-2
3. Say Goodnight (Tim Tetrick/Nicholas DeVita) 8-1
4. Liberty Style (Art Stafford Jr./Andrew Stafford) 12-1
5. Darlin’s Angel (Lauren Tritton/Juan Cano) 7-2
6. Be Perfect BG (Louis-Philippe Roy/Tony Beaton) 9-2
7. Existential (Dexter Dunn/Scott DiDomenico) 12-1
8. She’s A Bulldog (Yannick Gingras/Ron Burke) 6-1

$124,200 Grade 2 Matron Stakes 3-Year-Old Male Trot (Race 10)

1. Highball Hanover (Brandon Givens/Wayne Givens) 12-1
2. Captain Jordan (Tim Tetrick/Scott DiDomenico) 8-1
3. Kingmen (Jason Bartlett/Petter Engblom) 12-1
4. Jim Beam (Yannick Gingras/Scott DiDomenico) 6-1
5. Diabolic Hill (Todd McCarthy/Annie Stoebe) 5-2
6. AI (Dexter Dunn/Marcus Melander) 7-2
7. Minoan (Andy McCarthy/Noel Daley) 9-2
8. Yankee Boost (Louis-Philippe Roy/Tom Shay) 10-1

$124,800 Grade 2 Hap Hanson Matron Stakes 3-Year-Old Male Pace (Race 12)

1. Watch Em Win (Tim Tetrick/Ron Burke) 12-1
2. Al Papi (Yannick Gingras/Ron Burke) 5-2
3. Toast Of The Town (Louis-Philippe Roy/Noel Daley) 12-1
4. Melillo (Ronnie Wrenn Jr./Ron Burke) 7-2
5. Odds On Mr Mamba (Dexter Dunn/Melanie Wrenn) 6-1
6. Callmebigpapi (Todd McCarthy/Ron Burke) 10-1
7. Gentleman’s Club (Andy McCarthy/Aaron Lambert) 9-2
8. Fragment (Jason Bartlett/Petter Engblom) 8-1

First post for the Thursday card at Bally’s Dover, which also includes three $20,000 second-round splits of the Delaware Standardbred Breeders’ Fund series for 2-year-old male pacers and a $27,500 Blue Hen Open Handicap Pace, is 4:30 p.m. (EST).

For more information, visit www.ballysdover.com.