Blur & ‘Glide’ win Matron Filly elims
December 8, 2005,by Marv Bachrad, Dover Downs Publicity Director
DOVER, Del. — Blur took the lead after the opening quarter and breezed to victory in 1:56.3 while Ticket To Glide made a three-wide move at the three-quarters on the way to a 1:56 victory in split $31,531 Matron Stakes Three-Year-Old Filly Trot elimination divisions on Thursday, Dec. 8, at Dover Downs.
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Blur breezed to victory in 1:56.3.
Breeders Crown winner Blur had no difficulty leaving from post 8 in her Matron elim. Brian Sears moved the Trond Smedshammer-trained Muscles Yankee filly up on the outside to get to the front in front of the grandstand and then dictated the tempo the rest of the 1:56.3 mile to win for the third consecutive time. Solveig, one of the top 2004 frosh fillies, made her first start in three months and raced well for trainer-driver Jimmy Takter. Solveig left quickly to get the early lead and yielded to Blur and followed her the rest of the way to finish second. Rosebud Sioux, a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes standout, closed well for Brian Zendt finishing third. The final qualifier for the lucrative final was Seducer Hall, with Tony Morgan driving. The victory for Barry Goldstein-owned Blur was her sixth of the season. She has now won $723,359 this year and $927,164 in her career.
In the other Matron Filly elim, Brad Hanners got the drive on Paul Kinnear and Doug Hitchins’ Ticket To Glide and responded with a well timed move heading to the far turn. At the three-quarter mark, front trotting Flawless Bluestone, with David Miller, and Her Culease, with Ross Wolfenden in the bike, were battling for the lead. Hanners sent ultra-consistent Ticket To Glide, trained by Brett Pelling, three wide and quickly took the lead and went on to score her 11th win of the season in 16 starts. Flawless Bluestone held on to finish second with Vyingforthecrown flying down the lane for Jim Meittinis to finish third. Malvictorian and trainer-driver Trond Smedshammer secured the fourth and final qualifying spot for next Thursday’s $189,186 Matron Final.
Rose Run Casanova, owned, trained and driven by Kevin Sizer, got back into the win column taking the $9,000 Delaware Trot in 1:59.1. Pondo Abe (Brad Hanners) finished second in front of Cover The Loot (Sam Belote).
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Ticket To Glide, trained by Brett Pelling, scored her 11th win of the season in 16 starts.
In a $40,000 Claiming Allowance, Eric Schultz’s Twelve Seventee, off at 17-1, rocketed down the lane for Jack Parker Jr., from far back, to catch front-pacing Murphy’s Best in the last step for a 1:53.4 victory, a lifetime record for the four-year-old Falcons Future gelding.
Hal Belote brought in the longshot of the day, Michael Vannicola’s 52-1 shot Elmo’s Sunny who won by a nose in 1:58.4 and paid $107.50 for a $2 win ticket.
Dover Downs ExtraOn Monday, December 12, the first of four Matron Stakes Finals for 3-year-olds will be decided. Gryffindor, the winner of the $394,120 Progress Pace Final, who finished third in the Breeders Crown on November 26, won one of two $39,206 Matron Stakes Eliminations.
The other elimination was won by Leading X Ample, who beat Dear Old Boy by a neck after a stretch-long, head-to-head duel. Both Roddys Bags Again, owned by Bob Messick of Milford, Del., and Thin Blue Line, the winner of the $275,000 Windy City Pace Final, who is now owned by Paul McDougall and W.J. McDougall Racing of Dover, Del., have strong local ties. The top eight finishers in the two eliminations qualified for the $260,238 Matron Stakes Final.
The top sophomore filly pacers will meet on Tuesday in the $183,375 Matron Stakes Final. Last week, Belovedangel, the recent Breeders Crown winner, and the Badlands Hanover filly Born Storyteller, a 20-1 shot, won the eliminations.
Then, on this coming Wednesday, the $199,013 Matron Stakes Final for 3-year-old colt trotters should be interesting. An anticipated battle between the 2005 Hambletonian winner, Vivid Photo, and the Breeders Crown winner, Strong Yankee, never unfolded in last week’s eliminations. Sir Perseverance pulled a surprise and won that race, in 1:544, a track record for a sophomore gelding trotter.
The final major stakes race of the 2005 portion of the meet will take place next Thursday, when eight filly trotters meet in the $189,186 Matron Stakes Final. Blur, the Breeders Crown winner, and Ticket To Glide both turned in impressive victories in yesterday’s eliminations.
The 2005 Matron Stakes will go down as the finest renewals in their lengthy history; most of the top 2- and 3-year-olds in the sport took part in what will be well-remembered races.
Jim Morand, a two-time Dover Downs driving champion, reached the 7,000 career-win milestone last week when he drove He’s Personal to victory in a $100,000 Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund Final.
The Thursday, December 8 card marked the first time at this meet that Tony Morgan did not have at least one winning drive on the program. Morgan has taken a commanding lead in the dashwinning standings, with 94 victories. With time running out in 2005, Morgan is in second place in the North American standings, with 636 wins, and Cat Manzi is the leader, with 663 wins.
Morgan, a three-time Harness Tracks of America Driver of the Year, in 1996, 1997, and 2002, and a three-time leading North America dashwinning driver, in 1995,1996, relocated to Dover Downs a few days after the 2005-06 meet began, and has quickly established himself.
Defending Dover driving champion Brad Hanners is second in the standings, with 69 wins; Jim Morand is third, with 44; 19-year-old Brandon Givens is fourth, with 28 wins; and Ross Wolfenden completes the top-five, with 25 wins.
In a tightly contested leading trainer contest, Tim Crissman holds first place, having sent out 23 winners. Most of his winning horses are owned by J.W. McDougall Racing and Paul McDougall of Dover, Del.
Kevin Lare, the defending champion trainer, is second, with 20 wins; Josh Green is third, with 19; Chuck Crissman is fourth, with 16 wins; and George Teague and Nick Callahan are tied for fifth place, each with 13 wins.
JM Vangogh, a winner of $962,254 on the trot, owned by Paul Chambers, of Harrington and John Mello of Massachusssetts, who has idle since September, won a qualifying race on Thursday morning at Dover Downs, in 1:592, with two seconds being allowed for the track conditions.
In 2004, JM Vangogh was voted Older Trotter of the Year on the Woodbine Entertainment Group Circuit, and he is again a leading candidate for this year’s prestigious O’Brien Award, in Canada.
The 2005-2006 Dover Downs meet offers racing six days a week; Monday through Thursday post time is 4:30 p.m., and on Saturday and Sunday racing begins at 5 p.m. (EST). There is no charge for parking or admission. Reservations are suggested for the Winner’s Circle Restaurant. Call (302) 674-4600.