Poke mom, it's a surprise!

Riley Rose returned to Dover Downs after a short stay at the Meadowlands to score a 1:52.3 victory in the $27,500 Mares Open Pace Tuesday while Poke Mom pulled a mild surprise taking the $23,000 Mares Jr. Open. Tim Tetrick and Tony Morgan had driving triples, Brad Hanners a double.

Driver Jim Morand was unseated in a 10th-race mishap when race favorite Noni N (Tetrick) suddenly broke stride on the homestretch turn. Morand was ejected from his seat and landed hard on the infield ground but got up and said he was not hurt. He was excused from later drives during the program.

Sean Bier took Riley Rose immediately into the lead and led for every step of a 1:52.2 mile in the week's $27,500 distaff feature. The Real Artist 4-year-old who was a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes standout last season is owned by Esther Bier of Dover, Del. Riley Rose notched her first win of the season in eight starts. Ultimate Bet flew down the stretch for Morgan to get second money. I'm All In and Ron Pierce, the race favorite, had to settle for third.

Jonathan Roberts moved Poker Mom three wide around the last turn and then held off Camturo and Morgan in the late to register a mild surprise 1:53.2 victory in the $23,000 Mares Jr. Open Pace. The victory was the third of the year in six starts for the Canadian-bred daughter of Run The Table owned and trained by Johnny Waite of Camden, Del. Ain't Goin Back closed for Ben Stafford Jr. to finish third.

Four Winds N scored her first win of the year with Pierce driving the Beach Towel mare, owned by Paul McDougall and WJ McDougall Racing Inc., to a 1:54.4 victory to win the first $17,500 mares winners-over pace. Mapua Magic N (Ross Wolfenden) stepped out of the claimers to finish second with Valkyrie Hanover (Art Stafford Jr.) third.

Brandon Givens got Hopefull N up in the closing strides to win a $17,000 mares winners-over pace for owners Preston Walls, Chad Tate and Steve Daughterty. Cat Power (Morand) closed strongly to finish second. Firiel Hanover (Pierce) led from the start and raced with Rafaella Seelster (Morgan) pressing the pace from the quarter on, with Firiel Hanover finishing third beaten only a quarter length.

Archie Peel and Howard Birney's 11-1 shot Mibby, piloted by Tetrick, battled Jay Low (Morgan) the length of the stretch to prevail by a neck in a 1:55 mile in another $17,000 mares winners-over pace. Another Wave (Givens), at 61-1, finished third.

Bret Brittingham took Alberts Drifter N, owned by Only Money Inc. and Warren Racing Stable, to the outside in front of the grandstand and taxied alongside Price Check (Givens) on the backstretch cutting out the pace. The Albert Albert mare then took the lead on the outside on the final turn and pulled off to a 1:53.4 victory beating NF Beach Candy (Mark Gingrich) by half a length with Millie's Got Style (Tetrick) a neck back in third.

Rattlesnake Jake returned to the winner's circle for the first time in 2007 with Brad Hanners driving the Schimitar-sired gelding to a 1:57.4 win for Fred and Anita Fialkow and Harness The Power. Admiral's Quest (Eddie Dennis), another chestnut, finished second in front of Smokey Bear, the only female in the $9,500 trot. (Dover Downs)

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