by Marv Bachrad, Dover Downs Publicity Director

DOVER, Del. — Arts Day shocked 1-5 favorite Rocknroll Hanover to win one of two $35,000 Progress Pace eliminations while Village Jolt romped to victory in the other elim on Sunday, Nov. 6 at Dover Downs. The top four finishers in each of the Progress Pace elims return next Sunday (Nov. 13) for the richest Progress Pace Final in history with a $394,120 purse.

After David Miller hustled Gryffindor past $1.8 million winning Rocknroll Hanover to take the lead after a :25.3 opening quarter, Rocknroll Hanover with Brian Sears at the controls, regained the front on the clubhouse turn taking eight foes to the half in :55.1. The tempo picked up on the backstretch. When the timer clicked 1:23.3 at the three quarters, Eric Ledford sent Arts Day alongside the leader as they battled to the far turn and into the stretch. Arts Day then edged away with 90-1 shot Escapable Beaux, driven by Ontario’s all-time dash-win driver Doug Brown, thundering down the lane to finish a close second. Rocknroll Hanover clung to third edging Gryffindor for show honors.

Arts Day is owned by Iannacone, Giamarino, Royal Flush Stables and D’Elegance Stable IX. Seldon Ledford trains the Artsplace gelding whose dam, Laugh A Day, was the highest priced filly ever sold at a yearling auction. Lloyd Arnold paid $625,000 at the Harrisburg sale in 1983. The Progress Pace elim win was his eighth of the year and pushed his seasonal earnings to $113,521.

Village Jolt showed his best foot in the other $35,000 elim. Ron Pierce moved the Cam’s Card Shark colt up to get the lead on the outside during a :26.3 opening panel and controlled the action the rest of the way, holding off Stonebridge Regal and Jack Moiseyev in deep stretch to win underwraps with a :28 final quarter.

Stonebridge Regal had the early lead before Pierce sent Village Jove to the lead in front of the grandstand and opened up a 2-length lead on the backstretch thanks to a :27.1 third quarter. Speed Demon took a shot at the leader but could get no closer than Village Jove’s bike. The winner was still strong at the wire with a half-length to the good. Stonebridge Regal chased down the lane to finish second with local starter, Bob Messick’s Roddy’s Bags Again with Daniel Dube closing for third money. Sleep Easy, driven by George Brennan, was fourth qualifying for next Sunday’s $394,120 final.

Owned by Jeffrey Snyder, who raced Village Jolt’s sire, Cam’s Card Shark, and Arlene and Jules Siegel, who plan to stand Village Jolt at their Fashion Farm in New Hope, Pa. next spring, Village Jolt, the 2004 Dan Patch award winner, won for the fifth time this season raising his earnings to just short of $1.6 million in his two years of racing.