Matron finals on tap Saturday at Dover

After two world and one track records last week in elimination divisions, the top eight performers return Saturday, Nov. 16 at Dover Downs for four lucrative Matron Series finals for male and filly pacers and trotters. First post is 5:30 p.m. 
 
The leadoff Matron Filly Trot Final boasts a  $226,125 purse. Margarita Momma set a track record winning one of three Matron elims last week. Ron Pierce drove the Yankee Glide filly trained by co-owner Jan Johnson and Jorgen Jahre to victory in 1:56.2. It was her sixth victory of the season. Hall of Famer John Campbell will rein Paolo Rosanelli and John Siena’s Honorable Daughter. She started last and closed with a rush to win her elim by a neck. A pair of Hall of Famers represent One Tough Girl, Cat Manzi drives the Muscles Yankee lass for David McDuffee, Irv Liverman and Mel Hartman, a 1:58. winner in her elim.
 
Second-place finishers were Fredericka Caldwell and Bluestone Farms’ All Star Hanover with David Miller and OK To Play, piloted by Tim Tetrick. Dan Plouffe and Jean Claude Dessureault own the filly and Jimmy Takter trains and drives I’m A Ridge Girl owned by John Fielding and Christina Takter. Allamerican Phoebe, a third place elim finisher drew the rail. Yannick Gingras drives the Ron Burke trainee for Sylvia Burke, Larry Karr and Tom Cherichello while Celebrity Farms’ Celebrity Juliet leaves from outside post 8 with Brian Sears driving for trainer Staffan Lind.
 
Last week’s elim winners and one of the runners-up drew outside posts in the $209,700 Matron frosh filly pace. Bulletproof Enterprises’ Hawaiian Drink (Sears) won for the second-straight time for trainer Tracy Brainard. Brittany Farms’ perfectionist was the easiest winner as Ron Pierce was 6-lengths up in his division. Jimmy Takter trains the Western Ideal filly.  Ed Mullinax’s Up Front Noel (Andrew McCarthy drives the Noel Daley trained filly to a second a week ago. That’s The Plan (Tetrick), also conditioned by Daley, finished second last time
 
Owned by David Scharf and That’s The Plan Stable, Indulge Me will be driven by Hall of Famer Mike Lachance and Rodney Mitchell’s Pumptuous, with Kevin Sizer, were third in their elims. The other starters are White Birch Farm’s Racing Star (Gingras) and David McDuffee’s Arbeedo, with George Brennan.
 
The highest purses come in the male events. In the $275,850 Matron Colt Pace, both coupled starters form a Bulletproof Enterprise entry. If I Can Dream (Brennan) leaves from post 5 and Schoolkids (Sears) starts in post 7.
 
Troy Stewart’s McArdles Star, reined by Daniel Dube has been second five times this season including his Matron elim. Lightly race Barber Pole (Tetrick), bred and owned by Barbara and Gary Iles, sustained his first setback, second, after three consecutive wins in four lifetime starts.  Clear Vision (Pierce), finished third last Saturday. Richard Norman trains for John Fielding and David McDuffee. Arlene and Jules Siegel’s Fireintheshark, trained by Jim Campbell with David Miller in the bike, and Joe Kowalski-conditioned Lightning Stables’ Lightning Elvis (Manzi) are the other starters.
 
The $245,775 trot final is led by an imposing entry of Explosive Matter (Pierce), who set a world record 1:55 triumph in his elim for Adam Victor & Son, who also are co-owners with Blue Chip Bloodstock and Lindy Racing Stable of Cesar A Blue Chip (Tetrick), also an elim winner. Both are trained by Noel Daley. Select Yankee (Dube) finished second last time for Select Yankee Stable, as did Dan and Tom Courtemanche’s NF Quotable (D.Miller) trained by Sam Beegle.
 
Road Rash, trained by Marcus Johansson with Jimmy Takter at the controls behind Nancy Johansson, Christina Takter and Goran Anderberg’s Road Rash, third last start. Salutation Hanover (Gingras) was a third-place elim finisher. Ron Burke trains for Sylvia Burke, Frank Baldachino, David Scharf and Bob Ringer, also third. Completing the lineup are Robert Rosenheim Stable’s Wuthering Hanover (Brennan), trained by Jonas Czernyson, and Bob Key’s Dashing Earl (Lachance), trained by Rich Gillock, both fourth in elims. (Dover Downs)

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