by Marv Bachrad, publicity director, Dover Downs
Dover, DE — BJ’s Braveheart got back into the winning ledger by scoring a convincing 1:53.3 victory in the $19,200 Delaware 4- and 5-year-old pace at Dover Downs on Thursday, March 20.
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Fotowon photo
BJ’s Braveheart was a 1:53.3 winner for Brandon Givens.
With Brandon Givens in the bike, BJ’s Braveheart proved much the best by romping in a lifetime record 1:53.3 performance for owners Robin and Nicole Callahan. Public choice Pilgrims Burner (Tony Morgan) had to settle for second. Stacy’s Character (Bryan Truitt) was the third place finisher.
Veteran Game Speed, a 9-year-old daughter of the late Program Speed, was in winning form in scoring a 1:58 triumph in the first $14,000 co-featured trot. Corey Callahan drove the winner to her second success this year. Fivedollarsforsox (George Dennis) was runner-up. Bullville Sue (Tim Curtin) finished third.
In the second $14,000 trot, Art Brewer’s Renegade Dream sat alongside race favorite Passito (Tim Tetrick) from mid-backstretch until deep in the stretch before getting up for a 1:57.2 victory. Rattlesnake Jake (George Dennis) had a perfect trip behind the battling leaders and finished a close-up third.
Tim Tetrick had four wins, while Tony Morgan and Corey Callahan had driving doubles.
Two $19,200 Delaware Paces on Saturday
After the customary Friday day off, live racing returns for a short weekend on Saturday, March 22, with a pair of $19,200 Delaware 4- and 5-year-old mare paces. There is no live racing on Easter Sunday. Daily post time is now 5:30 p.m.
One of the co-featured races finds two starters with wins last time out and each drawing outside posts. Warren Racing Stable’s Thevoodoothatyoudo scored a 1:56.3 win by 3-1/2 lengths with Vic Kirby driving. Leaving from post eight is Mike and Lisa Hill and Green Racing’s Kattimon and meet leading driver Tony Morgan, seeking a third consecutive victory.
Danes Acres’ Super Art has won two of her last four starts and will have the services of Jonathan Roberts. Trainer Ben Stafford and driver Ben Stafford, Jr.’s Florist has been racing well all season.
The rest of the lineup includes Betty Brittingham’s homebred Tooshadyforalady with Bret Brittingham at the controls; Russ and Elaine MacKinnon’s River Princess with Corey Callahan; trainer-driver Brewer Adams’ Painted Lady K; and Occasionally Bad, starting from the rail with Eddie Davis, Jr. driving for Allan Pullman and Barry Glickstein.
The other $19,200 division also has eight distaffs led by Eric Foster’s On Stage Sizzle (Eddie Davis, Jr.), Mike Gannon’s Ain’t No Misfit (Roger Plante), and Vern and Jane Hood’s Whammy Hanover (Ross Wolfenden).
Vicki Givens and Sharon White’s Goodlands Patty (Brandon Givens) drew the rail with Ron Davis’ My Aunt Margaret (Jim Morand) alongside.
Completing the field are owner/trainer/driver Dave Hill’s Preview The Dream; Lucy Lou Lynn, owned, trained and driven by Don Davis from post eight; and Kevin and Ken White’s Sweet Ariel (Corey Callahan).
Saturday through Thursday racing starts at 5:30 p.m. Dover Downs is closed on Easter Sunday. No live racing on Fridays. The current meet ends on April 10. There is no charge for admission or parking at Dover Downs. Reservations are suggested for the Winner’s Circle Restaurant. Call (302) 674-4600.
Dover Downs Extra
Popular Dover Downs horseman Ken Wood is off on another of his humanitarian effort to Ghana for the eighth time. Wood’s humanitarian project, “Lifetime Wells For Ghana,” is providing much needed water to the people of the African nation.
Wood, a longtime owner and horseman from Easton, Md., will again take part in digging wells and training locals to enable the native population to have a water supply. Before Wood’s efforts, Ghana inhabitants had to walk nearly five miles for water with most of that supply not of drinking quality.
Wood has donated his valuable digging rig and all necessary equipment, in addition to his highly skilled personal services, to this project. Since Wood began his efforts there are now 201 wells in operation.
Wood, and his son, Ben, another well-digging professional, expect to spend two full weeks on this Ghana mission of providing many more wells to the poor African country’s needy.
The Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund (DSBF) 3-year-old stakes begin next week with the first of two preliminary rounds on Wednesday, March 26. Following two prelims, the top eight point-getters in each of the four divisions, two pacing and two trotting for colts and fillies, return for $110,000 finals on Dover Downs’ meet closing day, April 10.
During qualifying races on Wednesday, a number of DSBF-eligible sophomores were on the 15-race morning card.
The Classic Series, which opens its 2008 campaign on April 7, the last Monday of the current season, drew the highest number of nominees in series history.
Nick Salvi, Classic Series director, reports that 105 senior campaigners are eligible.
Dover Downs hosts the first leg of four $85,000 divisions — The Pacing Classic, The Trotting Classic, The Classic Distaff and The Classic Oaks — featuring the fastest and richest 4-year-old and older horses on the continent.
An added fan special is set for Classic Monday, April 7. Starting at 3:30 p.m., the first 350 fans with a Capital Club card will receive a Tim Tetrick bobblehead.
In addition, there will also be drawings for cash prizes. Starting at 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m., each drawing is for $100. The 7:00 p.m. drawing is for $500. At 8:00 p.m., the cash prize is $1,500. The final drawing at 9:00 p.m. is for $500 cash.
Only those who used their Capital Club card while attending live or simulcast horseracing from Feb. 4 through March 21 are eligible for the cash drawings.
Through Wednesday, March 19, statistics compiled by the USTA again show Tony Morgan in first place in the 2008 leading driver dash-win standings with 196 wins. Dave Palone is second, winning 191 races. Tim Tetrick, last season’s record-breaking champion, is third, racking up 153 successes. Brian Sears, who races at Dover Downs on Mondays, is fourth with 142 and Andy Miller rounds out the top five with 122 wins. Corey Callahan is 14th in the standings, winning 105 times in 2008.
Mickey Burke, the sport’s leading trainer the last two years, again heads the North American 2008 stats with 143 wins. Burke races a section of his large stable at Dover Downs. Second in the sport’s standings is Josh Green with 66 wins. Tim Crissman has climbed to 17th place, haltering 44 winners.
Tony Morgan is on the way to his second track championship in three seasons. Morgan became only the second driver in track history (Tim Tetrick is the other) to reach the 300-win plateau. Morgan has won 303 races and has sewn up the current 2007-2008 season’s dash-win title. Tim Tetrick, last meet’s champion, is second with 207 wins. Corey Callahan, enjoying his finest season ever, is third, winning 173 races. Former champion Jim Morand is fourth with 142 winners while Ross Wolfenden holds fifth place with 108 wins.
It’s the same old story in the track’s leading trainer standings. Josh Green has all but clinched his third consecutive title. Green has been the track’s leader or co-champion the last two meets. Already this meet, Green has haltered 90 winners. Tim Crissman is now a solid second with 67 wins. Dylan Davis is third with 41 wins. Joe Hundertpfund holds on to fourth place with 40 wins. Nick Callahan is fifth with 39 winners.