by Marv Bachrad, publicity director, Dover Downs

DOVER, Del. — Arguably the season’s finest group of three-year-old pacing talent put their best foot forward in the $236,314 Matron Three-Year-Old Colt and Gelding Pace, the flagship event of the prestigious Matron Stakes, at Dover Downs on Monday, Dec. 6. An outstanding undercard features a $29,000 Preferred Handicap, a $26,000 Delaware Special, a $23,000 Open Handicap, an $18,500 Jr. Open. Post time is 4:30 p.m. ET

The Matron Final features a powerful four-horse entry owned by Perfect World Enterprises. Both $35,218 elim winners last week – Rapid Dialing and Geartogear – established world records. Both are trained by DeShawn Minor and were driven to wire-to-wire victories by Kevin Wallis. Coupled in the wagering are Western Terror and Timesareachanging, both $1 million winners trained by Brett Pelling. By luck of the draw, all four drew outside post positions.

In the fastest of the two sub-1:50 Matron elims, Wallis rushed way from the gate with Rapid Dialing, a Jate Lobell colt that had shown little early speed in his recent races, and was never headed in a 1:49.1 victory holding off a ever constant charge from the Lloyd Arnold-supplemented Quik Pulse Mindale and perennial Chicago leading driver Tony Morgan. From mid-backstretch until the wire, where the two dueled all the way until separated by a neck at the wire. Driven To Win, owned by Ted Gewertz, Milton, Martha Franks and trainer Joe Holloway, got away second for David Miller and finished third with pre-race favorite Timesareachanging, handled by Ron Pierce, finishing fourth. All four in this division were clocked in 1:49.4 or faster.

Rapid Dialing’s 1:49.1 is the fastest time ever for his age, gender and gait over a five-eighths mile oval, and equals the all-world record set in 1996 by Riyadh, then tied in 2000 by Cam Knows Best, and last Spring by Luckyisasluckydoes. All the world record miles were posted at Dover Downs.

Forty-five minutes earlier entrymate Geartogear was also at the top of his game in the other $35,218 prelim. This time Wallis commanded the lead starting from the rail and then withstood a dramatic drive from John Fielding and Canamerica Capital Corp.’s Holborn Hanover, reined by George Brennan, for a then record 1:49.4 mile for a sophomore colt pacer.

The Matron Final will also boast another world record holder. On Nov. 14, Holborn Hanover set the world record of 1:49.3 for a gelding winning the $345,900 Progress Pace. Less than a week later Holborn Hanover won the $258,190 James B. Dancer Memorial at Freehold. The third-place finisher in the Matron prelim was Western Terror, driven by Brian Sears. A beaten favorite who finished third in the Progress Pace, Western Terror was supplemented to the $350,000 Windy City Pace at Maywood the following Friday and scored a 1:53.4 win over a sloppy track. The final Matron qualifying spot went to Bendis, Campbell, Castelli and Varney’s Georgia Pacific, reined by John Campbell.

On another exceptionally competitive undercard Monday is the $28,000 Preferred Handicap Pace. Schoor-Racing and Val D’or Farms’ Soho (Brad Hanners) has won the event the past two weeks and three-times in the last four editions. Ron Mario’s Bay Sign (Jon Roberts) led until the final stride last week. Fred Hertrich’s Riptide Hall (Cat Manzi) finished third.

Sam Jacobs and Charles Burris’ fast finishing Cambest Prince (Ross Wolfenden) drew the rail with Walter Hight, Tom Dillon and Crystal Ball Stable’s Ashlee’s Big Guy (Tim Curtin) alongside. A new addition to the field is Bob and Loretta Staats’ Moxie, who was at his peak last summer at Woodbine. Helen Looney and JoAnn King’s Cornas (Jim King Jr.) and Peter Tritton’s Kirwan’s Reward N (Steve Warrington), winner of the Open Pace last Monday, complete the strong field.

This week’s $26,000 Delaware Special features a quartet of this events winners this meet. Rodney Mitchell’s Dream Wave (Kenny Mitchell) won opening week. Helen Looney and JoAnn King’s Lamaze Hanover (Jim King Jr.), Jeff Franklin’s Clinton Debriefed (Travis Bowman) and Bruce Fisher and Lindsay Green’s Jacksbrotherjoe (Jim Morand) have won the last three weeks editions. Gary and Barbara Iles’ speedy Crew Cut Zach (Brad Hanners) should profit with post one. Moscow N (Cat Manzi), Carter Racing’s Fox Oshaughnessy A (Bobby Myers) and Bill Bignall’s BJ’s Breeze (Brian Sears), a winner of two of his last three are the other starters.

Laham, Franklin and Crystal Ball Stable’s Crystal Art (Jim Morand), winner of last week’s $22,000 Open Pace and Larry Crew’s Smokey Range N (Steve Warrington) have both won their last two outings. Graham Grace Stables’ Instigator (Jon Roberts), Ron MacArthur’s Cocky Cam Shark (Vic Kirby) and Don Hawk, John Hynansky and trainer Dan Warrington’s Racsan John (Herve Filion) are among the eight starters in this week’s Open.

The powerful undercard prepared by race secretary Don Knapton includes an $18,500 Jr. Open Pace, two $15,000 Delaware Winners-Over paces, three $30,000, a $25,000 and two $20,000 claiming paces.

Monday through Wednesday post time is 4:30 p.m. No live racing Fridays. Saturday and Sunday races start at 5:30 p.m. There is no charge for parking or admission. Reservations are suggested for the Winner’s Circle Restaurant – 302-674-4600.

Race 8 – $236,314 Matron Three-Year-Old Colt Pace Final
No. PP Colt Driver ML odds
1 5 Rapid Dialing Daniel Dube 4-5
1A 6 Western Terror Brian Sears 4-5
1B 7 Timesarachanging Ron Pierce 4-5
1C 8 Geartogear Kevin Wallis 4-5
2 1 Driven To Win John Campbell 10-1
3 2 Holborn Hanover George Brennan 7-2
4 3 Georgia Pacific John Campbell 6-1
5 4 Quik Pulse Mindale Tony Morgan 5-2
1-1A-1B-1C are owned by Perfect World Enterprises and coupled in wagering