by Marv Bachrad, for Dover Downs

Dover, DE — Out of the quartet of four impressive victors, including Pure Country, Caprice Hill and Dayson, 2015 2-year-old pacing champion Boston Red Rocks stole the show on Thursday (Nov. 10) in the $160,200 3-year-old colt and gelding division of the Matron Stakes at Dover Downs.

USTA/Mark Hall photo

Defending 2-year-old champion Boston Red Rocks bounds to victory in the Matron Stakes. Shown here in his 2015 Breeders Crown triumph.

One of five winners for Tim Tetrick on the stakes-laden card, Boston Red Rocks was tucked into fourth position during a first quarter-mile split of :25.2 paced by Check Six. As the field of eight headed into the second panel, Tetrick pulled the Steve Elliott pupil to the outside to commence his journey to the front. Although he failed to clear Check Six and then eventual leader Western Fame until pacing into the final turn, Boston Red Rocks was confidently handled by his pilot after contesting fractions of :54.2 and 1:21.3.

Tetrick tucked the whip away in mid-stretch, as the son of Rocknroll Hanover-McGibson collected his fifth win of the season for owners Peter Blood and Rick Berks.

Boston Red Rocks tripped the timer with a new lifetime mark of 1:49.3 and boosted his earnings to $382,055 this year and $961,260 lifetime.

Western Fame (Mark MacDonald) and Check Six (Yannick Gingras) rounded out the trifecta.

Not to be outdone by her male rival, Diamond Creek’s homebred $1.7 million-winning Pure Country, arguably the sport’s leading sophomore filly pacer, chalked up her 10th win of 2016 by overpowering seven distaffers in 1:50.2 to win her $148,400 Matron division. The defending 2-year-old champion upped her bankroll to $1,082,430 for her 2016 campaign. Pen Pal and Pat Lachance finished second with Blue Moon Stride driven by Andrew McCarty third.

Trained by Jimmy Takter and reined by Brett Miller, Pure Country, also parlayed a first-over journey into victory and emphatically made her claim for a second championship bid when hitting the wire in 1:50.2.

On the trotting side, Tom Hill’s Caprice Hill received a well-timed drive from Hall of Famer Brian Sears to record a 1:52.3 triumph in the $149,000 Matron Filly Trot. The win, which was a lifetime best for last year’s Canadian champion, put the Kadabra-Bramasole filly at $538,138 for this year and at $992,401 for her career.

Hambletonian Oaks victress All The Time, piloted by Yannick Gingras, was runner-up. Non Stick and Ake Svanstedt, took show honors.

Fotowon photo

Caprice Hill establishes a new lifetime speed badge with an authoritative win in the Matron Stakes at Dover Downs on Thursday.

Conditioned by Tony Alagna, Caprice Hill turned in a very powerful first-over performance to atone for her fifth place showing after being locked in during the Breeders Crown final. It was only the second time in her two years of racing the filly failed to hit the board.

Gingras and New York Sire Stakes standout Dayson won for the 12th time in 19 starts this season recording a 1:53 score in the $178,650 Matron Colt Trot. Ron Burke conditions the Conway Hall-Nervey’s Taurus gelding for Our Horse Cents Stables, J&T Silva Stables, Burke Racing Stable and Rossie Smith. The win lifted his purse total to $479,508 this year.

Double L Lindy and Ake Svanstedt finished second in front of Lagerfeld handled by Hall of Famer David Miller, third.

Montrell Teague drove three Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund (DSBF) freshmen winners, all sired by George Teague million-dollar winners, and trained by Clyde Francis, to impressive victories and a fourth second place finisher.

Henry The Dragon by Custard The Dragon-Surveille Hanover, won his fifth in a row, easily outdistancing Automatic Dragon (Tetrick) and Hallie’s Comet (Ross Wolfenden) to cross the finish line in 1:52.3.

Next, Montrell Teague guided Stay In Your Place, a Mr. Wiggles-Southwind Tahiti Teague homebred who he owns with K&R Racing, scoring a 1:53.4 success. Wake Up And Go (Corey Callahan) just missed finished second in the photo with James Isaac (Tony Morgan).

The same owner/trainer/driver combo returned with Daylen in 1:55.1 The Mr. Apples-Dance Major Teague rookie held off Kaaya (Jim Morand) and Painter’s Edge (Art Stafford Jr.) for his third win of the year.

Bags To Riches spoiled a Teague sweep as Tim Tetrick steered the Roddy’s Bags Again-Paint The Sky Blue colt home in 1:53 for trainer/co-owner Jason Skinner and breeder Only Money Inc. Rat Tail (Montrell Teague) was second best. Suspinder (Allan Davis) finished third.

Tetrick finished with five wins, Montrell Teague, owner George Teague and trainer Clyde Francis had three, Corey Callahan two.