by Marv Bachrad, publicity director, Dover Downs

Dover, DE — Art Stafford Jr. took Celebrity Pegasus to the front and then took no prisoners along the way to a lifetime best equaling 1:53.3 conquest in the Wednesday, Jan. 25 in the $15,000 Mares 4&5-Year-Old Winners-Over trot at Dover Downs.

Photo courtesy of Fotowon

Celebrity Pegasus went to the front and took no prisoners along the way to a lifetime best equaling 1:53.3 on Wednesday at Dover Downs.

A 5-year-old by Andover Hall-Celebrity Athena, Celebrity Pegasus had been racing well since her last win in late November with three consecutive seconds, a third and a fifth last week, but a change in post positions, from the outside to post two, did the trick for trainer Eric Ell and owners Ken Wood, Bill Dittmar, Steve Iaquinta and Minisink Farms. A 15-1 shot Machuca (Tony Morgan) finished second in front of fast-closing Royal Becca J (Jack Parker Jr.). The brown trotter won for the13th time and now has won $154,010 lifetime.

Tony Morgan won his third of four wins during the day guiding Richard Gutnick and TLP Stable’s Moonlight Cocktail, trained by Linda Toscano, to a career fastest 1:54.4 triumph from post eight in the $13,500 semi-feature. A Canadian stakes seasoned daughter of Kadabra-Angustura, it marked the 4-year-old’s third straight victory. Streamsong (Jonathan Roberts) led for most of the mile holding on for second-place. Myclaimtovictory (Kim Vincent) was third.

Morgan, who is the second-leading dash winning driver in North America, finished the program with four trips to the winner’s circle. Ross Wolfenden, Yannick Gingras and Art Stafford Jr. had two wins each.