Favorites dominate MDSS

Four divisions of the Maryland Sire Stakes were contested at Rosecroft Raceway on Saturday evening, and the odds-on favorite in each race proved victorious.

The third race of the evening, worth $46,350, brought Mandas Mistyclover to the winner’s circle. The 3-year-old trotting filly wired the field under the guidance of driver Cliff Green.

Owned by Donnie and Nancy Drewer of Delmar, MD, the daughter of Dedicated Yankee set a new lifetime mark of 2:03.1, trotting on the front end through fractions of :30.4, 1:02.4 and 1:33. Trained by Darryle Dennis, the homebred of the Drewer’s earned her third win of the season from five starts.

The ninth race of the evening brought the 3-year-old colt and gelding trotters to the track. A field of eight vied for a purse of $46,850, but Misty Moonlight was the easy winner. The Go Get Lost gelding, owned and trained by Syl King, Jr. of New Holland, PA, hit the front end from post seven and held strong through quarters of :29.2, 1:00 and 1:30.1. Driven by John Wagner, Misty Moonlight drew away for the win in 1:59.3.

“Every week he gets better,” driver Wagner commented. “He gets more confident. I wanted to leave with him and control the race and that’s what we did.”

When asked about his relationship with owner-trainer Syl King Jr., Wagner mentioned, “Syl is a good trainer. He gets his horses hung up good.”

Owner-trainer-driver Donnie Russell dominated the tenth race with his Misfit colt Control Freak. The 3-year-old pacing colt faced a full field of nine to race for a purse of $47,150. Russell sat back with the colt early in the race, and made a first over bid for the lead after the half-mile marker.

“I took him back and then came up from the back,” Russell commented on his drive. “When I saw that everyone was leaving, I thought that would be the best thing to do.”

“I had easy races with him his last two starts,” Russell continued. Control Freak was a winner on the front end in both of the preliminary divisions of the MDSS, dominating the fields with wire-to-wire miles.

The eleventh race of the evening spotlighted the 3-year-old pacing fillies. Reined by John Wagner, Taylors Lady was the obvious winner, wiring the field from the rail through quarters of :27.4, :57.3 and 1:26.0. The Masterman filly won the race easily in 1:55 for owners Jeff Clark and Dennis Walls.

“I eased her off the gate to make sure she didn’t make a mistake,” driver Wagner commented when asked about his strategy in the race.

Taylors Lady, a winner of five races from six starts this year, is trained by co-owner Jeff Clark.

John Wagner had an outstanding night, winning seven of 13 races on the evening.

(Rosecroft)

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