Dover, DE — Starsel enjoyed a perfect two-hole trip and then rolled past Victors Vicky in deep stretch to win the $26,000 Open Trot on Wednesday at Dover Downs.

Fotowon photo

Starsel was a 1:55.3 winner in the Open Trot on Wednesday.

With Daryl Bier at the controls, Starsel followed Victors Vicky and Ron Pierce from the starting gate and sat second until reaching the passing lane when the Angus Hall-Super Sally gelding zipped past on the way to a 1:55.3 triumph for owners Glenn DelRusso, Charles Dombeck and trainer-driver Bier. Victors Vicky, the only mare in the field, was second with last week’s winner Photo Maxx and Mike Cole third.

It was Starsel’s third win of the meet, along with four seconds in seven races, bringing his seasonal bankroll to $73,895 and lifting his career total to $657,947.

Earlier Tm Curtin moved The Budster into the lead heading to the clubhouse turn and the Broadway Hall-Distaff gelding was never fazed en route to a 1:56 victory in an $18,000 Winners Over Trot. The 11-year-old veteran, Batalj Launcher (Ron Pierce), finished second with Man About Town (Matt Kakaley) next.

— Marv Bachrad

Monticello Raceway
On the cold and windy afternoon at Monticello Raceway a pair of high class trots were presented. Self Professed won the winners over in 1:59.4 while Gelato Man rallied to cop the non-winners of $800 per start in 2:01.3. Self Professed, from the powerful Mark Ford barn, had raced here a few times earlier this season and with his return from Harrah’s Chester, Brandon Simpson rallied the millionaire altered son of Self Possessed to a neck victory over Samsawinner and driver Bruce Aldrich, Jr. In that contest Aldrich sent Samsawinner to the lead and they cut fractions of :28.3, :58.4 and 1:29 and at the head of the stretch it appeared that Samawinner’s two length lead at that point would hold on for victory. But Simpson had Self Professed in high gear coming off the final turn and the recent millionaire rallied in the deep stretch and collared the pacesetter for a neck triumph. The Mad Duke, with Danny Cappello, Jr. aboard, was just a length back in third place. Owned by Martin Scharf, Self Professed notched his fourth seasonal triumph and returned an $11.40 win mutuel. In the trotting co-feature trainer Angus MacDonald handed the lines to Bruce Aldrich, Jr. and after an overland trip from the halfway point Gelato Man finally caught the pacesetter Calchips Muscle (Kyle DiBenedetto) in the final turn and then held off a late charge by My Buddy Chimo and Kevin Hough to score a 1-1/2 length victory. My Buddy Chimo was second with Black Watch and Jordan Stratton taking home the show dough. Owned by Ralph DelPriore, Jr., Gelato Man scored his third victory of the season and paid $3.80 for win.