Black cat on cold night

Keystone Rodeo won the $37,500 Preferred and Black Cat Bone took the $35,000 Delaware Special on the coldest night of the season on Monday at Dover Downs.

Last season's Horse of the Meet, Keystone Rodeo was at the top of his game in the feature. Brad Hanners pulled the Western Hanover 7 year old to the outside after the half to challenge front-pacing Sharky Osborne and Tony Morgan on the backstretch, around the final turn and into the stretch before moving away to reach the finish line in 1:53 with PH Top Dog with Ron Pierce closing with the rush to get to within a neck at the wire. Dream Rocket teamed with Ross Wolfenden to wrap up third place.

The win was the fourth of the year for Keystone Rodeo, owned by Fred and Anita Fialkow, and was the third win haltered by trainer Kevin Lare. The line-up was reduced to five starters when Driven To Win was scratched.

In the co-feature, Pierce, who led the program off by sweeping the daily double and the third race, drove owner-trainer Erika Paradee's Black Cat Bone to a third consecutive victory in the $35,000 Delaware Special. This time the 10-year-old Sportsmaster gelding used the passing lane to get up near the finish line in 1:52.2.

Paradee also trains and co-owns with Mike Zimmerman and John Paradee, Beware Beret, the winner of the $28,500 Open. Pierce drove the Green Beret-sired gelding into the lead after the quarter and then shook off Cheyenne Hollywood and Brandon Givens in the lane for a 1:52.3 success. Ross The Boss N, reined by Roger Plante, was the third-place finisher.

The first of three $21,000 winners-over paces was won by Bonnie Allen and Brenda Harper's Prince Of Luck. The Camluck gelding made the most of a head-to-head duel between Dreamfair Titan (Tim Tetrick) and Artchie Andrews (Pierce) until mid stretch. Then Ross Wolfenden sent Prince Of luck into the lead nearing the finish line for a 1:53.2 victory, his second in his last three starts. Artchie Andrews got up for second with Southern Ruler N closing fast for Morgan to take third.

Coldheartedrevenge, owned by Tom Ceraso and John Giumarra, got up in the final stride for Givens to nip front-pacing Gold Rocket A and Tetrick in 1:53.4 to win the second $21,000 event. Marced Car and Plante closed with a rush to finish third.

North State Street Stable's Motu Hat Trick N mowed down the field in the lane to win the third $21,000 winners-over pace. George Dennis trains and drives the Beach Towel gelding coming from far back at the top of the stretch to overtake his rivals in a 1:54.1 mile. Real Ideal with Jim King and American Fury, driven by Givens, were second and third, respectively. (Dover Downs)

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