Stephen Messick’s homebred Misty Coast established herself as the filly to beat in next week’s $110,000 Delaware Standardbred Breeders’ Fund (DSBF) series final for three-year-old pacing fillies with a 1:55.1 win in her $20,000 second-round preliminary division on Wednesday (Dec. 6) at Bally’s Dover.
Following a 1:53.1 score in the first round, Misty Coast and driver Art Stafford Jr. seized control from She Is Risen (Corey Callahan) on the first turn before controlling splits of :28.1, :57.2 and 1:26.2. The daughter of Powerful Mist-Cruisinthecoast widened her margin of clearance steadily through a :28.4 closing quarter, defeating She Is Risen by five lengths. Lulu Mist (Trae Porter) tracked the top pair throughout and lunged late to just miss the runner-up spot.
Misty Coast, who has now won 14 races and earned $242,550 in her career, is trained by Les Givens. She paid $2.10 to win.
In the second division, Hold My Wine follow up a second-place finish to Misty Coast in the first round with a 1:55 victory of her own. In line to Montrell Teague, the Badlands Hanover-Step Lively filly sat third behind duelling leaders Direct Mist (Ross Wolfenden) and No Gel Nikki (Pat Berry) through a :27.2 quarter before brushing to the fore with just over a lap remaining. Hold My Wine travelled uncontested through middle splits of :56.4 and 1:25.4 before pulling away from her rivals in the final three-sixteenths. Kims Secret Search (Tim Tetrick) sustained a first-over bid through the final half mile to finish second, 10-1/4 lengths in arrears; Mavericks Missy (Russell Foster) followed live cover and finished third.
Hold My Wine, who has won seven races and earned $83,513 as a homebred for George & Tina Dennis Racing, is trained by Joe Columbo. She paid $2.10 to win.
In addition to Misty Coast and Hold My Wine, the following fillies have qualified for the $110,000 series final, scheduled for next Wednesday, Dec. 13: Chatty Kathleen, Lulu Mist, She Is Risen, Kims Secret Search, No Gel Nikki and Mavericks Missy.
Incaseyoudidntknow Wins Fifth In A Row
Incaseyoudidntknow stormed home to win her fifth consecutive race on Wednesday night, taking the $25,000 Fillies & Mares Open Handicap Pace in rein to Jim Morand.
Boudoir Hanover (Tim Tetrick) blasted off the wings of the starting gate from post eight and grabbed the early lead. Southwind Icenfire (Tony Morgan) protected pocket position and Tae (Pat Berry) settled in third. Incaseyoudidntknow left but retreated to fourth racing to the quarter.
Boudoir Hanover, the 1-2 betting favourite, set fractions of :26.4 at the quarter, then backed off the half in :55.4 with a :29 flat quarter. Incaseyoudidntknow moved to the outside and raced first up past the half. Boudoir Hanover held an uncontested lead to the three quarters in 1:23.2, pacing that quarter in :27.3. Incaseyoudidntknow’s first-over journey appeared to have stalled approaching the three-quarters.
Turning for home, Southwind Icenfire was pulled from the pocket with Morgan sensing that Boudoir Hanover was beginning to tire. Tae charged inside down along the pylons.
Incaseyoudidntknow gained momentum late and charged home to win by a half length in 1:52.3. She paid $5.80 for the win. Boudoir Hanover cut the fractions and finished second. Tae picked up the show spot.
Incaseyoudidntknow (Always B Miki-In Deep Thought) is owned by James Magno and Joseph Fonte, both from Maryland. She is trained by Les Givens.
Tim Tetrick scored five driving wins on the card.
DSBF preliminary action at Bally’s Dover concludes on Thursday, Dec. 7 with two $20,000 second-round divisions for three-year-old male pacers kicking off a 15-race program First post is 4:30 p.m. (EST). Penzance Hanover, last year’s Horse of the Meet at Bally’s Dover, will take on the speedball Sprocket, who has won two races in a row, in the $27,500 Blue Hen Open Handicap Pace. First post is 4:30 p.m. (EST).
(With files from Delaware Standardbred Breeders’ Fund and Dover Downs)