by Marv Bachrad, Dover Downs Publicity Director

Dover, DE. – Total Truth and Shark Gesture won the two $35,000 Progress Pace eliminations while Trond Smedshammer drove two Matron elim winners, one with favorite Queen Serene and the other with 22-1 shot Likeabatoutahell. Buck I St. Pat and Algiers Hall won the other Matron trots while My Little Dragon took the Matron pace on a fast night for three-year-old stakes performers at Dover Downs on Sunday, Nov. 5.

Fotowon

Total Truth took one of the Progress Pace elims in 1:50.4.

Ron Pierce left quickly with the George Teague-trained Total Truth in one of the Progress Pace elims and never looked back on the way to a 1:50.4 triumph. Armbro Deuce had the 2-hole seat and finished second best for George Brennan while Perfect Union with David Miller took third. Western Guy and Brian Sears also qualified for next Sunday’s Progress Pace Final. Total Truth won for the sixth time this season and lifted his 2006 earnings to $1,258,476 for Only Money Inc. of Hartly, Del. and Teague Inc. of Houston, Del.

Shark Gesture, fresh from victory in the $610,000 Breeders Crown last week, cut out a 1:51.2 mile for George Brennan. The Erv Miller trained Cam’s Card Shark colt held off a fast finishing Mr Feelgood, reined by Canada’s leading driver Mark MacDonald with another Teague-trainee Western Ace and Ron Pierce, the show horse. Tyrant Hanover, handled by Hall of Famer Mike Lachance, was fourth.

In the first $28,362 Matron elim on the card, driver Dave Palone put Buck I St. Pat into the lead with a strong backstretch brush and then rolled to a 1:54.2 victory. Howard Taylor of Penn Valley, Pa., Ed Gold of Phoenixville, Pa., Abe Basen of Las Vegas and Bob Fuller of Ohio own the Mickey Burke-conditioned winner of 10 races this year and $162,146 in purses. Birmingham, with Tony Morgan, was runner-up in front of Emantee and Brian Sears. Bye Bye Kerry, with Ron Pierce at the helm, finished fourth.

Queen Serene, owned by Timo Yli Panula, of Pompano Beach, Fla won like a favorite should, scoring a 1:55.2 victory to complete Trond Smedshammer’s trainer-driver double. The Dream Vacation filly was followed home by Love On The Rocks with George Brennan driving, and Incredible Fortuna, steered by Tim Tetrick. Claudia, handled by Jan Johnson also qualified for the final.

The race before, Smedshammer made a bold move heading to the three- quarters with longshot Likeabatoutahell and romped home in 1:54.3 for Mike Andrews of Gorham, Me. Limbo Glide, with Ron Pierce, finished second. Wildwood Days and Jack Parker Jr. was third.

My Little Dragon, driven by Brian Sears, made a powerful move on the backstretch zooming from seventh on the outside to take the lead at the three-quarters, pacing her final quarter in :28 seconds for an easy 1:51.4 conquest. It was the second Matron win for owner Adam Victor & Son Stable of New York City. Their two-year-old filly, Little Miss Dragon, set a 1:52.2 world record on Saturday, breaking My Little Dragon’s former record in last season’s Matron. Another Dragon Again distaff Caviart Sydney, piloted by Ron Pierce, was the place finisher in front of Ideal Weather and Yannick Gingras was third.

The first eight finishers in the 11-filly field all qualify for next week’s lucrative final.