by Marv Bachrad, publicity director, Dover Downs

Dover, DE — The spotlight turns to 2-year-olds on a big Matron Series stakes weekend at Dover Downs. Sunday, the richest Progress Pace ever and three lucrative Matron finals complete a giant weekend. On Saturday, the spotlight is on 2-year-olds with nine Matron Series eliminations. Two divisions are for male pacers and trotters with two elims for filly pacers. There are three divisions for filly trotters.

In one of two $42,975 Matron male paces, Troy Stewart’s Mcardles Star (Daniel Dube), second in the New Jersey Futurity Final, drew the rail while Bulletproof Enterprises’ Schoolkids (Tim Tetrick), second in last week’s American-National, has outside post seven. Gentlemen Heir (Andrew McCarthy) has won three times for Robert Cooper and Let It Ride stables.

The second $42,975 section features N.J. Futurity champion Fireintheshark (Jason Bartlett), owned by Arlene and Jules Siegel; Gary and Barbara Iles’ unbeaten homebred Barber Pole (Tetrick); Bulletproof Enterprises’ If I Can Dream (Sears); and Amante Standardbred’s Time To Scoot (Ron Pierce).

Matron filly trotters race in $25,125 elims. Two starters in one division have already won six races as well as six figure earnings. Fredericka Caldwell and Bluestone Farms’ All Star Hanover (David Miller) drew the rail while Paolo Rosanelli and John Siena’s Honorable Daughter (John Campbell) must overcome starting from post eight.

A second $25,125 filly division is led by Sylvia Burke, Larry Karr, and Tom Cherichello’s Allamerican Phoebe (Pierce), a two-time winner, as is Mallar, Brennan, Leavitt and Thurston’s Virgilyn Hanover (George Brennan); Menhammar Stuteri AB’s Neith’s Song (Tetrick); Bob Key’s Striking Gold K (Tony Morgan); and Mel Hartman, David McDuffee and Irv Liverman’s One Tough Girl (Campbell).

A third filly trot also has nine starters. Jorgen Jahre Jr. and Jan Johnson’s Margarita Momma (Pierce) has five wins, while I Wanted Wings (Campbell), owned by Silva, Robert Cooper and Let It Ride stables, and Tony and Carol Risi and Bernard O’Brien’s Broadway Paige (Manzi) are the leading money winners.

One of the $34,950 Matron filly pace elims is a banner event led by Ginger And Fred (Tetrick), racing for Howard Taylor, Bob Feldman, Ed Gold and Jerry Silva, from the outside post in the seven filly field. Bulletproof Enterprises’ Hawaiian Drink (Sears) has the rail with White Birch Farm’s Racing Star (Gingras) alongside. Bob and Lauren Tucker’s Indulge Me (Manzi) is a six-figure winner.

In the first $34,950 Matron filly pace elim, Brittany Farms’ Perfectionist (Pierce) and David McDuffee’s Arbeedo (Jason Bartlett) are the leading moneymakers.

There are two Matron male trot elims. In a $40,963 division. Bob Key’s Encore Encore (Tetrick) has won seven times and $360,192 in purses, Braggart (D. Miller) is a winner of five of eight for Joe Sbrocco and Bill Donovan, while Citation Lindy Stable’s Citation Lindy (Schnittker), Dan and Tom Courtemanche’s NF Quotable (Morgan) and Burke, Ringer, Baldachino and Scharf’s Salutation Hanover (Palone) are the leading money winners.

The second $40,963 Matron male elim has Celebrity Farms’ Celebrity Legacy (Campbell), Bob Key’s Dashing Earl (Tetrick), Tony Poliseno’s Collect The Brass (Pierce) and Select Yankee Stable’s Select Yankee (D. Miller) and have all won two races.