Four DSBF finals held as Dover closes

The 39th season of racing at Dover Downs went out in fine style with four $100,000 Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund (DSBF) 3-year-old finals on Thursday, April 10, with Tug River Princess coming within two-fifths of a second of Rainbow Blue’s track record by scoring her 11th consecutive victory in what has been a perfect racing career thus far. Hall of Famer John Campbell steered the Badlands Hanover filly to a 1:51.2 triumph in her $100,000 final.

Campbell pulled Tug River Princess off the rail to engage front-pacing Dover Dolly on the backstretch. After a short battle for supremacy, Tug River Princess zoomed into the lead and easily won by five lengths. Dover Dolly and Tim Tetrick held on for second. Badlands Power came on for Art Stafford Jr. to take third.

Tug River Princess, purchased earlier this year by Robert Cooper and Let It Ride Stables, with Jerry Silva recently buying an interest, has won all six of her 2008 starts including a sweep of the Tender Loving Care Series at the Meadowlands. She increased her seasonal bankroll to $114,850 and $135,850 lifetime.

In the filly trot, Juanita continued her unbeaten record in DSBF competition. The winner of both 2-year-old finals, the CR Commando lass won the first 3-year-old title as breeder, co-owner and driver Jim Morand took her to the lead early and was never headed in a career-fastest 1:58.2 victory. Co-owned by Nanticoke Racing, she has now won all three of her soph starts and 11 of 12 lifetime, earning $247,700 in purses. Commando Queen finished second with Vic Kirby driving. Koala Kat, driven by Tony Morgan, was third.

Ron Hill drove Indian Hill Mojoe into the lead heading to the three-quarters and then sped away to score a 1:59 career-best clocking in the colt trot. First National and Stafford came on in the stretch to secure second in front of Rough Seas and Eddie Davis Jr. Hill and trainer Virginia Keeler bred and own Indian Hill Mojoe, now a $145,000 lifetime winner.

Big Heart kept his winning percentage going as Morand piloted the Badlands Hanover colt to a 1:51.4 score in the $100,000 colt pace. Morand elected to drive the usual front-stepping soph from off the pace and came three wide around the final turn to quickly catch the leaders and win easily. Dina’s Gamble closed for Corey Callahan to pick up second. Frog Juice with Campbell led early and finished third.

In four $20,000 DSBF consolation events, Cliff Green drove Dennis Walls’ Noble Jay, a CR Commando gelding, to his first lifetime win in 1:58.4 in the colt trot division. ABC Command, bred, owned, trained and driven by Bobby Myers, took the filly trot edition in 2:02.4. In the paces, Triple Black and Tetrick had just enough to win the colt section for Ben Stafford Jr. and John Heckler in 1:53.2, while Morgan drove Bob Messick’s Bags Of Three to a 1:54.4 filly win. (Dover Downs)

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