Driver Tim Tetrick had the hot hands on Thursday (July 28) at Harrington Raceway on the annual Governor’s Day program during the Delaware State Fair.
The rich Governor’s Day program is always a focal point for Delaware horsemen as it brings the highest purses and largest attendance of the season, while also commemorating the memory of many former legislators, dignitaries and racing participants.
Tetrick won four races, including two $100,000 Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund (DSBF) finals. He started the card with a win in the DSBF filly pacing final aboard Shabby Chic ($12.80) over Gaitway Gal and Smokeys Passion. The Badlands Hanover filly, pictured above, surged from the pocket to score her tenth career win for trainer Mike Hall and owner Let It Ride Stables.
Tetrick completed a sweep of the pacing finals with a win with Kdk Standardbreds’ Heinikin Bythebay ($5), who emerged from the pocket with a fierce charge and was a one-length winner over Ds Heartland and Johnny Badlands in the colt and gelding final. The Kevin Switzer trainee recorded his 12th win in 16 lifetime starts and earned an invite to the $300,000 Carl Millstein Memorial on August 13 at Northfield Park (Ohio).
Pam Wagner’s Shes All Woman (Victor Kirby) won the DSBF filly trotting final in 1:59.4 over Antares Star and Franky Doyle. Trained by John Wagner, the Anders Bluestone filly has dominated DSBF competition and won nine of 14 career starts.
Art Stafford Jr. and Wyatt Starkey’s Navy Blue (Stafford Jr.) didn’t disappoint as the heavy favourite in the male trotting final with a 1:58 triumph over Canoe Trip and LGs Reed O Wen. Trained by his co-owner and driver, Navy Blue, a son of Anders Bluestone, has won seven of 11 career starts.
The $50,000 Governor’s Cup featured many of the state’s top aged horses with Delaware Governor John Carney on hand to present the trophy to the winning connections. This year it was Ed Gannon Jr.’s Sprocket (Pat Berry) taking the prize with a 1:51 win by two lengths over Never Say Never N and Sun Of A Show. Sprocket was strong on the lead and notched his 20th career win for trainer Traci Berry.
In the $35,000 Charles Murphy Memorial Trot, Nick Callahan, Yorwollahan Racing Team and Greg Godbout’s Star Razor (Corey Callahan) set a track record for four-year-old trotting geldings with a 1:54.3 win. The Nick Callahan trainee notched his seventh win of the year and broke the mark formerly held by Faithfulandtrue (1:54.4).
Other races and winners on the undercard, included George and Tina Dennis’ Feeling Sweet (Mike Cole) in the $35,000 Legislator’s Cup, in 1:53.2 and Major Pocket A (Berry) in 1:53.4 in the $25,000 President’s Cup.
After the second race, Governor Carney presented George Teague Jr. with a tribute for his recent induction into the harness racing Hall of Fame. Teague, who is stabled in Harrington, has had two national Horses of the Year in Wiggle It Jiggleit and Rainbow Blue, in addition to many other top divisional horses throughout his career and is the only two-time winner of the William Haughton Memorial Good Guy award.
Live harness racing on the Delaware circuit will resume on August 15.