by Marv Bachrad, publicity director, Dover Downs

Dover, DE — Late closing Tawny registered her second consecutive feature race victory, scoring a 1:55.2 triumph in the $27,000 Mares Open Handicap Pace on a track labeled “good” on Tuesday, March 8 at Dover Downs, where the wind was measured as much as 46 miles per hour.

Dover Downs Photo

Tawny scored a 1:55.2 triumph in the $27,000 Mares Open Handicap on Tuesday at Dover Downs.

Sitting last at the half in a select group of six distaffs, Brad Hanners pulled Tawny out behind the Jim Morand-driven Clock Watcher on the move to challenge pace setting Crossfire N. Mike Cole had rushed Crossfire N away to set the tempo. There were four horses across as the field turned for home. A :28.4 final panel was not good enough for Crossfire N as Tawny streaked from fourth at the head of the lane to get up by a neck in 1:55.2. Trained and driven by meet leading driver Brad Hanners for Skip Miller, Tawny now has won four of seven 2005 starts and $57,110 in purses. Crossfire N held on for second in a tight photo. Roses Best (Toby Lynch) got a two hole trip but had to settle for third.

Seemingly destined to finish second at mid-stretch, Steve Warrington urged Ann Other Porsche up along the inside to overtake Rain Dance Kim (Travis Bowman) nearing the finish line to win the $18,000 Mares Winners Over Pace. Go Flyin N (Brad Hanners) left fastest of all from post eight and led until the stretch. She held on for third.

The first of two winners for defending dash win champion Jim Morand came driving Debbie Avery’s Fake The Moment. The even-money favorite also scored his second straight win in 1:58, beating fast finishing Mapua Magic N (Ross Wolfenden) and 15-1 shot Precious Perri (Jim King).

Later on, Morand piloted Diane Neal’s 10-1 Brandi Bess Beach home in 1:57.4 to win a $10,000 Delaware claiming allowance.

Travis Bowman drove Max Walton’s 19-1 Bullville Sue to a 1:59.4 victory in the $13,500 feature trot. New Dawn Hanover (Eddie Davis) was second in front of fast finishing Racsan Jenny (Steve Warrington).

In the first of two $10,000 conditioned trots, trainer-driver Roger Plante steered Flatbush Hero to a 2:01 victory for Dominick Rafanelli and Ed Bannon. AP English (Eddie Davis) finished second with Desert Pine (Les Givens), the early leader, third.

Vicki Gram, owned, trained and driven by Art Stafford, Jr., came from fourth at the top of the stretch to mow down the leaders in a 2:00.3 score to win the second $10,000 trot. Allusive Hanover (Valerie Warnick), racing fifth and at odds of 34-1, closed with a rush to within three-quarters of a length of the winner. Rose Run Casanova (Kevin Sizer) cut the fractions and finished third.

North America’s all time leading dash win driver Herve Filion made the winner’s circle, driving Bobby Rice’s Bolero Tuskan, a 7-1 shot, from off the pace to score a 1:58.4 win in a Delaware $12,500 claiming pace.

Vic Kirby drove back-to-back winners. First he piloted Andy Feldmann and Don Bowdoin’s Gemini Jeanie to a 1:57.4 victory in an $8,000 mares pace, followed by Nate Sipple’s Hawaiian Buddy, the winner of a $15,000 claiming allowance in 1:58.

Claimers to star on Wednesday’s card

A trio of $40,000 claiming paces will headline the Wednesday card at Dover Downs. Post will be at 4:30 p.m.

Wynfield Bob, who last week won his first race since being claimed by Club Risque Stable and Brandrew Racing, drew the outside post, number eight, in one of the $40,000 claiming paces. The six-year-old, sired by the unheralded Wynfield Mark, will be driven by Herve Filion.

Don Hawk and trainer Dan Warrington’s Racsan Nuke registered a never-look-back, 1:53 triumph last time out for Steve Warrington.

Three starters will make their first appearance racing for a tag: Dan and Tom Courtemanche’s Morning Magic, to reined by Tim Curtin, Forrest Bartlett’s Honest Lawyer, to be handled by George Dennis, and Larry Crew’s Smokey Range N, to be driven by Sean Bier.

Elwood J Blues N, owned by Rodney Long and Howard Bowen, who was a winner of two previous races at this level, leaves from the rail and will be steered by Eddie Davis, Jr. Cantwell Bridge Stable’s Lar’s Legacy (Brad Hanners) and Brent Outten and Virginia Fisher’s Perfect Cam, with Jim Morand aboard, also have been competing at this price level.

Four of eight starters in another $40,000 claiming race were winners their last time out: Bill Dittmar and Steve Iaquinta’s Herb Abbe N (Mike Cole), who won for this price, Woody Long and trainer Bobby Glassmeyer’s Hale Hylight (Kevin Sizer), Ed and Jim Hall’s Lookout Bert A (Roger Plante), and Gary Wolf’s Hahn’s Specialty (Brad Hanners), who will step up in company.

MJGB Racing’s Company Stock (Travis Bowman) drops out of a Junior Open. The other starters will be Trotto, Long, and VIP Empire Stable’s Secret Harbor (Vic Kirby), who will start from the rail, Larry Hughes’ Last Card Johnnie (Rick Murphy), and Curtis Larrimore and Harness the Powers’ ANZAC (Kevin Lare).

Art Burn (Hal Belote), a 1:54.1 winner last week, will step up into the $40,000 claiming ranks in a second of the three co-features. Art Brewer’s Sporty Nate (Mike Cole), who finished second last week, will attempt to return to his winning ways, in which he recorded three victories in his last four races. Jean Bernard and Arnold Witkin’s Market Dreamer (Brad Hanners) and Nick and Corey Callahan’s JP Hickory (Jim Morand) also finished second their last time out.

Other contenders are Howard Taylor’s Moon Sign (Ed Nickle), Rodney Mitchell’s Swinging Scooter A (Eddie Davis), Ring Of Life (Ross Wolfenden), owned by Tim Hundertpfund and Roland Wainwright, and Irwin Samelman’s Hezaumpn Bluegrass (Frank Milby).

Two $25,000 races, a $20,000 claiming race, a $13,700 race, an $11,400 Delaware pace, and a $10,000 distaff pace will also be contested on a strong, 15 race card.

Saturday and Sunday racing at Dover begins at 5:30 p.m. There is no racing on Fridays. Monday through Wednesday post time is 4:30 p.m. There is no charge for parking or admission. Reservations are suggested for the Winner’s Circle Restaurant. Call (302) 674-4600.