Morgan Tetrick hot at Dover

Tony Morgan and Tim Tetrick have each enjoyed one special 2006 seasons: Morgan tops all drivers in the sport in wins while Tetrick won a driving title at one Chicago track and finished second at another while enjoying a comfortable lead during the 2006 portion of the on-going Dover Downs season.

It didn't take Tony Morgan to make an impression on Dover Downs fans after arriving at the Delaware capital city raceway a little more than a year ago. In the span of that 132-day race meet, Morgan completed the 2005-06 season obliterating the former track record for driver wins in one season making the winner's circle on 447 occasions.

During the 2006 season, adding his Dover Downs record totals to those at Harrington Raceway, where he also set the Spring and Fall meet marks, plus an occasional drive at Rosecroft Raceway, Chester Downs, and with occasional trips to Chicago and a short two-night trip to Northfield Park, Morgan, who took a one-day vacation on New Year's Eve, completing the season with 1,004 victories.

While Morgan's first year at Dover Downs has been a roaring success, the track and sport's defending champion is in the midst of a battle for his Dover Downs title. Newcomer Tim Tetrick has vaulted into an impressive lead after the first 47 programs of this 132-day 2006-07 meet. Tetrick has driven 123 winners and boasts a .358 driver rating similar to a baseball batting average. Morgan is second in the standings with 94 winners and a .292 average.

Morgan, whose dad, Ed Morgan, is a long time successful trainer-driver well known at Midwestern raceways, arrived at Dover from the tough Chicago-area circuit where in addition to winning races he led all drivers in the sport in winning seasons three times - 1995 (794), 1996 (852), 1997 (788) - and won a trio of Harness Tracks of America Leading Driver awards.

Not long ago, Morgan, 48, reached five figures in wins, and now has driven 10,860 winners during his career. Morgan has driven winners of more than $73-million in purses lifetime. His 1,004 wins in 2006 are second only to Walter Case Jr. who won 1,077 races in 1998. Morgan won six races last Thursday, and then his 1,000th race at Northfield Park where he raced when Dover Downs was closed during its annual Christmas Week break, Dec. 22-29. Morgan, a native of Troy, Ohio, was able to win his seasonal title with a large contingent of family members on hand. Morgan donated his driver's fees those two days to the Northfield Horsemen's Paddock Party on Jan. 8.

Recently turned 25, Tetrick, also arrived at Dover Downs from the Midwest where he blossomed as a rising star at Indiana and then Chicago racetracks. Tetrick, who was first or second as leading driver in 2006 at Chicago tracks. Tetrick, also took New Year's Eve off completing his 2006 season with 679 wins completing the season ranked fourth among North America dash-win drivers.

Tetrick also is from a prominent harness racing family. Tetrick began driving horses on the Illinois Fair circuit at 16. His father, Tom Tetrick, a longtime trainer-driver, and brothers, Tom Jr. and Trace, are well known in the midlands. Trace, 20, completed a good season at Hoosier Park, Indiana and has continued his success taking over for his brother Tim at Chicago raceways.

Day in and day out, both Morgan and Tetrick compete against a strong driver roster at Dover Downs headed by regulars including former track leaders Brad Hanners and Jim Morand, along with Ross Wolfenden, Eddie Davis Jr., Tim Curtin, Roger Plante, Jim King, George Dennis, Steve Warrington and Brandon Givens, who are often joined by Ron Pierce, Brian Sears, David Miller, Cat Manzi and other prominent talents.

Two others are timeless wonders, who still know their way to the winner's circle, Eddie Davis, the all-time leading driver in the Delaware Valley and Herve Filion, who has won more races than anyone in North America.

The current Dover Downs live racing continues for four more months. The only non-racing days on the schedule are on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 4, and Easter Sunday, April 8. The track's 38th season draws to a close in mid April with the DSBF Three-Year-Old trot and pace prelims and $100,000 finals and the opening round of the 2007 Classic Series highlight of final weeks of the meet. All four $85,000 Classic Series events on April 9 and closing day, April 12.

(Dover Downs)

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