by Marv Bachrad

Dover, DE — The Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund (DSBF) 3-Year-Old 1st leg preliminaries shifted to colt and gelding pacers and trotters on Thursday, April1 at Dover Downs. Superbad Hanover, Lou’s Bad Yankee, McMurray Hanover and Cool Runnings won the $20,000 paces while Par Done My Putt and Strike N Cash took the DSBF soph trots.

In $20,000 1st leg prelims, Superbad Hanover turned in the fastest clocking handled by Ross Wolfenden driving for owner-trainer Kostas Tsankos. Wolfenden drove the Badlands Hanover-Supersonic Speed colt to his second win in four starts this year in 1:52.4. Never Going Away (Corey Callahan), a Three Wizards gelding and a Powerful Toy colt, Golden Gladiator (Tony Morgan) completed the trifecta.

Jim Morand steered Louie Pagliarani’s Lou’s Bad Yankee to victory in 1:55.1 for trainer Wayne Givens in another DSBF test. It was the Badlands Hanover-Yankee Vista gelding’s second win of the year. Exotic Toy (Vince Copeland) by Powerful Toy finished second with Hulking Bloke (George Dennis), a Shotgun Scott gelding, finished third.

Fotowon

McMurray Hanover gave Jim Morand another $20,000 DSBF prelim win.

McMurray Hanover gave Jim Morand another $20,000 prelim win. The Badlands Hanover-Mud Hen gelding won his seventh career race in 1:54.4 for Stephanie and Brian Cassell. Trained by Eddie Dennis, McMurray Hanover was chased home by Enee Weenie And Me (Jim King) closing between horses and Amazing Quest (Brad Hanners).

Julianne Watkins and J&E Stable’s Cool Runnings closed with a rush for Eddie Davis Jr. to post a 1:54.3 victory in his DSBF prelim. A roan gelding by Three Olives-Gifted Debutante, Cool Runnings has won two of his three seasonal starts. Extended Forecast, also by Three Olives, led until deep in the stretch. Colormeoutbadboy (Morgan) sustained his first loss, finishing third.

Par Done My Putt, winner of last fall’s DSBF Final at Harrington, held off a stubborn challenge from Wygant Knight (Morgan) to notch a 2:00.4 victory in one of two $20,000 prelim trots. Wendall Donaway piloted the win for Laura Gannon. The triumph came in the Par One-Aggressive Ann colt’s first start of the year. Airborne Commando (Rod Allen) was the show finisher.

Eddie Davis Jr. began his two-win night driving Strike N Cash, by So Striking-Brent’s Katie Girl, to a 2:03.1 victory in a $20,000 DSBF non-wagering prelim. Super Delagate (Eddie Moore) was a close-up second with Politico (Kim Vincent) bringing up third.