Fear The Dragon, Downbytheseaside lead $35,000 Hap Hansen Progress Pace elim
November 22, 2017,by Marv Bachrad, publicity director, Dover Downs
Dover, DE — Two separately owned outstanding 3-year-olds in the Brian Brown Stable — Fear The Dragon and Downbytheseaside — lead an 11-horse field in the $35,000 Hap Hansen Progress Pace elimination headliner on a big pre-Thanksgiving card along with three Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund preliminaries on Wednesday (Nov. 22) at Dover Downs. First post is 4:30 p.m.
Trainer Brown says Fear The Dragon trained so well a week ago that ownership paid a $25,000 supplemental fee to race in the Progress Pace. The colt, who ranked at the top of the Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown Top 10 Poll most of the summer drew post seven with Hall of Famer David Miller in the bike, while Downbytheseaside, piloted by Chris Page, winner of last week’s Matron, leaves from post nine in the second tier. The first eight finishers qualify for next Thursday’s $300,000 final.
Earlier in the first of two DSBF $20,000 events for 2-year-old filly trotters, Serendipity Stable’s Star Sapphire and driver Russ Foster seeks a second straight prelim win, after a wire-to-wire score last week in 2:00.2. Déjà vu Blue, driven by Ross Wolfenden, was second in that race for owners Howard Taylor, Tom Lazzaro, Mike Casalino and trainer Dylan Davis. Alpine Chic, handled by Allan Davis, who shares ownership with Delbert Cain and Nanticoke Racing, finished third in her prelim last week.
Leading the second $20,000 DSBF trot is Vandalous. Last week Corey Callahan closed with a rush driving Vandalous to score a 1:59.4 victory for owners BCJM Inc., Cinbrew Enterprises and Chambers Racing, edging Uptown Spunk and Roger Plante by a neck.
The $20,000 DSBF colt and gelding trot has seven starters led by Super Fly (Art Stafford Jr.), Bosston Cruiser (Jonathan Roberts), Brother Kenny (Callahan) and Sky Marshal (Carlo Poliseno).
The top eight point-getters after Wednesday’s two prelim legs make the $100,000 DSBF final on Nov. 30. The four lucrative Delaware events will be part of the $300,000 (est.) Hap Hansen Progress Pace all-star card.
There is no live harness racing on Thursday. Dover Downs management and horsemen join others in having a Happy Thanksgiving.
Monday through Thursday post time is 4:30 p.m. The daily program features a 50-cent Pick-5 (races two-six) and a late daily double (races 12 and 13).
- Downbytheseaside and Fear The Dragon to duel in Progress Pace elimination (Tuesday, November 21, 2017)
Three-year-old male pacers Downbytheseaside and Fear The Dragon are neck and neck in this week’s Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown poll, with a meeting in Wednesday’s elimination of the Hap Hansen Progress Pace at Dover Downs — and another potential meeting in the Nov. 30 final — on the horizon.
- Fall Four and TVG finals lead Grand Circuit action this week (Wednesday, November 22, 2017)
On Saturday night (Nov. 25) Meadowlands Racetrack will host finals in each of the Fall Four events for freshman pacers and trotters and the TVG series for open pacers and trotters.