by Marv Bachrad, publicity director, Dover Downs

Dover, DE — Vintage Master and Schoolkids scored off-the-pace victories in $35,000 Progress Pace eliminations while Showherthemoney, Swan For All, Howthehaloareyou and Yursa Hanover won Matron 3-year-old eliminations on Sunday (Nov. 8) at Dover Downs.

Vintage Master nipped Mr Wiggles by a neck in their Progress Pace elimination.

Daniel Dube pulled Vintage Master out to follow the cover of Bunkmiester (David Miller) on the final turn and then exploded past the leaders for a 1:50.2 victory in his $35,000 Progress Pace elim. Corey Callahan took Mr Wiggles to the front and cut out the fast fractions before finishing second, a neck behind the winner. Vertical Horizon (Jim Morrill Jr.) was the show horse. Arctic Warrior (Tim Tetrick), the fourth place finisher, also qualified for next Sunday’s $350,000 final.

Jimmy Takter conditions Vintage Master for Brittany Farms and the Brian Monieson Trust. The win brings the Western Ideal-Art’s Vintage colt’s earnings to $1,302,811 this season.

In the other Progress Pace elim, Schoolkids, one of two Tracy Brainard trained winners for Bulletproof Enterprises during the night, rolled down the passing lane for Tim Tetrick to ease past leader Go Go Solano and George Brennan in deep stretch for a 1:50.3 decision. Zee Barber was a game third with Brian Sears driving. Rusty’s All In (Daniel Dube) was fourth.

Swan For All was a 1:54.1 winner in his Matron elimination.

Lightly raced Swan For All toyed with nine rivals for a 1:54.1 score in one of two $42,257 Matron eliminations for sophomore colt and gelding trotters. David Miller piloted the Andover Hall-Swan Lake colt for trainer Erv Miller. Jaavos Boy had a two-hole trip and finished second. Calchips Brute took third for trainer-driver Trond Smedshammer. P J Clark (Andy Miller) finished fourth.

Swan For All‘s win was his third in just his fifth start this season for owners John Carver, Mystical Marker Farm and Diamond Creek Farm. Swan For All now has won seven of 10 races lifetime.

George Brennan, who seems to specialize with passing lane victories at the track, did it again. Brennan urged ACL Stuteri AB’s Howthehaloareyou along the inside to catch Hot Shot Blue Chip in the final strides for a 1:54.3 victory in the second $42,257 Matron colt and gelding trot.

David Miller took the lead early, driving Hot Shot Blue Chip, but was challenged by Triumphant Caviar heading to the half and the pair dueled through the backstretch and around the last turn as the rest of the field bunched for the drive down the lane. Howthehaloareyou, trained by Anette Lorentzon, came on strongly to get up in the last stride by a head over Hot Shot Blue Chip. Tagyoureit Hanover finished third with Andy Miller while NF Quotable and Tim Tetrick was fourth, qualifying for the final.

Showherthemoney continued her winning ways with a 1:51 triumph in the Matron Preview.

Unbeatable since mid-Summer, Bulletproof Enterprises’ Showherthemoney notched her 11th win of the season, equaling the track record by Rainbow Blue for her age, gait and gender, romping to a 1:51 triumph in the $55,750 Matron Preview for filly pacers.

Jim Morrill, Jr. took the Cam’s Card Shark-Everything’s Easy bay to the front and never was troubled on the way to victory, one of two training wins for Tracy Brainard. Dave Palone pulled Ginger And Fred out of third on the backstretch and offered an effort but could not get to the winner’s bike. Showherthemoney was chased home by North American’s leading driver Jody Jamieson, driving Special Sweetheart, with Ginger And Fred holding on for third.

All seven starters return for next Sunday’s rich final.

Fotowon photos

Yursa Hanover won her Matron elim in 1:55 for Tim Tetrick.

Tim Tetrick piloted Yursa Hanover home in 1:55 in the first $35,694 3-year-old filly trot split. He whirled the Windsong’s Legacy-Yankee Topaz filly out of third at the top of the lane and overtook second-place finisher Rapson (Brian Sears) for her sixth win of the year. Benoit Baillargeon trains Yursa Hanover for owner Richard Berthiaume. Honorable Daughter, winner of the 2008 Matron in track and world record time finished third with John Campbell at the controls. Sirenuse (Mike Lachance) also made the final by finishing fourth.

The other $35,694 sophomore filly trot was a second win for driver George Brennan, Anette Lorentzon and owner ACL Stuteri AB when Jersey AS out-trotted race favorite Windsong Soprano and Mike Lachance in the stretch and pulled off a 1:55.2 victory, equaling the Muscles Yankee-Superlou AS sophomore’s lifetime record. Musical Mystery and Ron Pierce came from far back to edge Windsong Soprano for second. Lady In The Wind (David Miller) was fourth.

The first four finishers in each elim return next Sunday for lucrative finals.