by Marv Bachrad, publicity director, Dover Downs

Dover, DE — The Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund kicked off its preliminaries for sophomores on Monday (March 24) at Dover Downs with three $20,000 filly pace divisions with two favorites and a longshot posting wins.

Fotowon photo

Seboomook Fool Yah was a 1:55.3 winner in her DSBF division.

Seboomook Fool Yah, winner of last Fall’s $100,000 freshman final, returned in top form in her first start of the year as Allan Davis guided the Garnet O’Marrow homebred daughter of Gambler’s Dream-Seboomook Mao to a 1:55.3 win, overtaking front pacing Fashion Guru (Ben Stafford, Jr.) in the dash to the finish line. Wayne Givens conditions the winner, who now has won eight of 11 starts with two thirds, racking up $120,286 in purses.

I’m Won Rum Wiser was the other favorite to win her seasonal debut. The $100,000 Harrington final winner notched a 1:57 success in her $20,000 DSBF prelim with trainer George Dennis in the bike. The Headmaster-La Gloria Cubana filly won for the sixth time in nine starts. The Wiz Kinds Stable and breeders George and Tina Dennis own the winner of $112,150 in her career. Bettylou Who (Bret Brittingham) slipped along the passing lane to finish second in front of Mommom’s Little C (Jonathan Roberts).

The lone upset came when the Steve LeBlanc-trained Reflected Art pulled a 24-1 surprise in the other $20,000 prelim. Ross Wolfenden and Reflected Art roared past race favorite Jonigold heading to the three-quarters and sped away to a 1:54.4 lifetime mark. Megginspin (Ron Piece) closed along the passing lane to finish second with Jonigold (Bart Dalious) taking third place. The victory was the first of the year and second lifetime for Reflected Art, a daughter of Artzina-Queen Jodi owned by Winbak Farm and LeBlanc Racing.

In the $20,000 Mares Open Handicap, Jeremes Sweetheart raced second until the final step when the Jereme’s Jet-Fox Valley Evanna 5-year-old nosed past Spend It All for a 1:51.4 triumph. The greatly improved Paradise Lost (Ross Wolfenden) was only a head back in third. Ron Pierce drove the winner, stalking Spend It All (Jim Morand) from the start until the stretch when Jeremes Sweetheart sped to the inside and rushed to victory for the third time in 2014, only once out of the money in nine races. Ken Wood, Bill Dittmar and Steve Iaquinta own Jeremes Sweetheart, a $46,320 winner this year and $310,712 lifetime.

Ron Pierce and Allan Davis led all drivers with three wins apiece; Tim Tetrick, Montrell Teague and owner and trainer Trish Foulk added two wins each.

On Tuesday (March 25), two $20,000 divisions of DSBF 3-year-old filly pace prelims top the 15-race card.