by Marv Bachrad, publicity director, Dover Downs

Dover, DE — The $350,000 (est.) Progress Pace and eight Matron Stakes highlight the opening weeks of Dover Downs’ 40th season.

The month long festival of stakes action begins on Nov. 2 with $25,000 Progress Pace eliminations plus three sophomore divisions in the Matron Stakes. Following the elims, the top eight in Progress Pace and Matron divisions return the following week on Sunday, Nov. 9, for lucrative finals.

On Saturday, Nov. 8, the top 2-year-olds vie in Matron colt and filly trot and pace eliminations. These four finals take place on Nov. 15.

The Matron 3-year-old colts tangle in Dec. 8 elims with a Dec. 15 final.

Horses nominated to the Progress Pace and Matron elims for 3-year-olds must be dropped in to race by 12:00 noon on Tuesday, Oct. 28. Declaration free for those staked to the Progress Pace is $3,000. The Matron declaration fee is $1,500. Supplemental declarations to these events is $25,000 made payable to the Hambletonian Society and is due at time of declaration.

Dover Downs Major Stakes

2008 Progress Pace
Date-Day-Event-Est. Purse
11/2-Sunday-3-year-old pace elim-$25,000
11/9-Sunday-3-year-old pace final-$350,000
11/9-Sunday-3-year-old pace consolation-$25,000

Matron Stakes
Date-Day-Event-Est. Purse
11/2-Sunday-3-year-old filly pace elim-$60,000
11/2-Sunday-3-year-old filly trot elim-$75,000
11/2-Sunday-3-year-old colt trot elim-$75,000
11/8-Saturday-2-year-old filly pace elim-$70,000
11/8-Saturday-2-year-old filly trot elim-$70,000
11/8-Saturday-2-year-old colt pace elim-$75,000
11/8-Saturday-2-year-old colt trot elim-$75,000
11/9-Sunday-3-year-old filly pace final-$200,000
11/9-Sunday-3-year-old filly trot final-$225,000
11/9-Sunday-3-year-old colt trot final-$220,000
11/15-Saturday-2-year-old filly pace final-$230,000
11/15-Saturday-2-year-old filly trot final-$200,000
11/15-Saturday-2-year-old colt pace final-$265,000
11/15-Saturday-2-year-old colt trot final-$225,000
12/8-Monday-3-year-old colt pace elim-$70,000
12/15-Monday-3-year-old colt pace final-$235,000

2008 Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund (DSBF)
Date-Day-Event-Est. Purse
11/22-Saturday-2-year-old filly pace-1-$20,000
11/22-Saturday-2-year-old filly trot-1-$20,000
11/23-Sunday-2-year-old colt pace-1-$20,000
11/23-Sunday-2-year-old colt trot-1-$20,000
11/29-Saturday-2-year-old filly pace-2-$20,000
11/29-Saturday-2-year-old filly trot-2-$20,000
11/30-Sunday-2-year-old colt pace-2-$20,000
11/30-Sunday-2-year-old colt trot-2-$20,000
12/7-Sunday-2-year-old filly pace final-$100,000G
12/7-Sunday-2-year-old filly trot final-$100,000G
12/8-Monday-2-year-old colt pace final-$100,000G
12/8-Monday-2-year-old colt trot final-$100,000G