by Marv Bachrad, publicity director, Dover Downs

Dover, DE — The biggest race of the week and the biggest in Delaware harness this year, the $350,000 Progress Pace, is this Sunday (Nov. 15) at Dover Downs.

One of this season’s top rags-to-riches stories concerns one of the horses racing in the track’s signature event. Go Go Solano was sold to an Amish horseman in Maine for $700 six months ago. The owner qualified the 3-year-old in 2:04 and the next week in 1:57. He then put the colt in the Meadowlands sale and he brought $54,000. The purchaser took him to Canada where he continued to improve and Richard Lombardo and Pat Rizzo privately bought Go Go Solano for around $100,000.

From there Go Go Solano quickly became a dominant performer in the New York Sire Stakes, as the Bettor’s Delight gelding won the $175,000 final at Vernon Downs in 1:51 in late September.

He made his next start more than a month later, last Sunday, and finished second in his $35,000 Progress Pace elim. Heading to the final, Go Go Solano has never been farther back than second in nine lifetime starts and his won $195,748 this year.

Here are the 14th Progress Pace starters:

HN-PP-Colt-Driver-Trainer-ML Odds
1-3-Schoolkids-Tim Tetrick-Tracy Brainard-7-2
1A-5-Vertical Horizon-Jim Morrill Jr.-Tracy Brainard-7-2
2-1-Arctic Warrior-David Miller-Sam Beegle-10-1
3-2-Go Go Solano-George Brennan-Tony Poliseno-4-1
4-4-Zee Barber-Brian Sears-George Teague, Jr.-5-1
5-6-Rusty’s All In-Ron Pierce-Steve LeBlanc-15-1
6-7-Vintage Master-Daniel Dube-Jimmy Takter-5-2
7-8-Mr Wiggles-Corey Callahan-George Teague, Jr.-3-1

Also on the power packed program are three Matron Stakes finals: the $253,537 3-year-old colt trot, $214,163 3-year-old filly trot and $167,250 3-year-old filly pace.