Dover, DE — Misty Coast continues to prove herself as Delaware’s top rookie pacing filly, cruising to a 1:56.1 win in her $20,000 first-round Delaware Standardbred Breeders’ Fund preliminary event on Wednesday (Nov. 9) at Bally’s Dover.

Following wins in the $100,000 final of the DSBF Harrington series on Oct. 11 and against older conditioned company in a lifetime best 1:54.1 on Nov. 2, Misty Coast recorded her seventh career victory in extremely easy fashion, taking the first of three splits.

No Gel Nikki (driven by Montrell Teague) sprinted two lengths clear at race’s outset, only for Art Stafford Jr. to vacate the pocket with Misty Coast before the first turn. The Powerful Mist-Cruisinthecoast filly cleared to the lead before completing the :28.3 first quarter and faced nary a challenge from that point on. After rating a :59 half, she accelerated up the backstretch to three-quarters in 1:27.3 — and while No Gel Nikki kept pace, their other four rivals tired considerably. Misty Coast finally dismissed her pocket rival in the final eighth, drawing clear handily to win by 4-1/4 lengths over No Gel Nikki. I Dareutoticmeoff (Pat Berry) rallied belatedly for third over Hold My Wine (Michael Cole), who tired after mounting an uncovered bid on the backstretch.

Misty Coast unsurprisingly displayed her dominance in the first preliminary round of the November DSBF series for 2-year-old pacing fillies, held Wednesday at Bally’s Dover. Fotowon photo.

Les Givens trains Misty Coast, who has amassed $106,300 in career earnings, for owner-breeder Stephen Messick.

Stafford capped a DSBF driving double in the final division, teaming up with first-time starter Killer Stripes to post a 1:57.3 debut score. The daughter of Badlands Hanover-Tiger Style rode the pocket behind even-money choice Ezycure (Teague) through a :58 half, pulled the pocket with five-sixteenths to go, and struck the front at three-quarters in 1:28. After putting Ezycure away, Killer Stripes dug deep to stave off a sustained challenge from Clearlydreamy (Victor Kirby) by a half length. Spoiled Rotn Girl (Allan Davis) overcame traffic on the far turn and dove to the open stretch to just miss the runner-up spot.

Trainer Andrew Stafford co-owns the Winbak Farm-bred Killer Stripes, who paid $6.20 to win, with Thomas Ireland and Bonnie Benson.

Direct Mist completed the trio of first-round winners with a gritty 1:57.1 performance in the second division. The Powerful Mist-Yankee Vista filly was innermost of four early leavers, and driver Trae Porter used pole position to protect the lead with her through a :28.1 first quarter. With all six of her rivals behind her in single file, Direct Mist pulled the half back to :59, but was forced to accelerate when Kims Secret Search (Teague) mounted a first-over push to take second from a gapping Spicy Tuna (David Rearic) nearing three-quarters in 1:27.3. Despite the sustained challenge on her outside, Direct Mist prevailed, keeping Kims Secret Search a half length at bay while driven out. Chatty Kathleen (Berry) remained a detached third, 8-1/4 lengths farther behind, after losing cover.

Wayne Givens trains two-time winner Direct Mist, a Legacy Racing of Delaware homebred who paid $2.10 to win.

The second preliminary round in the current DSBF series for 2-year-old pacing fillies is slated for next Wednesday (Nov. 16), and the eight highest point earners from both preliminary legs will meet in a $100,000 final on Nov. 23.