Truth is, tuff field in Matron

There is no rest for the $348,900 Progress Pace winner Total Truth as he leads a strong field of nine 3-year-old colt pacers in a single-division $71,275 Matron elimination on Monday at Dover Downs.

Owner-trainer George Teague enters a powerful two-horse entry in the Matron elim. Total Truth, winner of the rich Progress Pace final, co-owned by Only Money Inc., and Western Ace, partnered with Kovach Stables, drew inside posts as well. Ron Pierce will leave from the rail with Total Truth, a $1.4-million winner already this year. Western Ace, who has banked nearly $1.2-million in his career thus far, will be driven by Tony Morgan from post three.

The talented Matron elim field includes Breeders Crown champion Shark Gesture, one of the sharpest sophomore pacers in North America this fall, with George Brennan driving for owners Norman and Gerald Smiley and TLP Stables. Also in the field is Little Brown Jug winner Mr. Feelgood, owned by Canamerica Capital Corp. Lindy Farm of Conn. and Diversity Stable, reined by Canada's leading driver Mark MacDonald and trained by Jimmy Takter.

George Leon and Dean Davis's fast Sandro Hanover, winner of a Jug Preview division, will have Mark Kesmodel in the bike and Ed Mullinax's Up Front Peyton, a winner of four of his five races this year, will have Mike Lachance at the controls. .

Other elim starters who did not participate in the Progress Pace are the Brian Sears-driven Carr's Character for Sandy Goldfarb and A Bunch Of Characters Stable, Father And Son and Stable 45's Western Guy, with Cat Manzi driving. Three-time track driver champion Luc Ouellette returns to drive Frank Dettore's stakes-seasoned Eagle Luck.

The first eight finishers on Monday qualify for the $213,825 Matron final on Million Dollar Monday, Nov. 27, along with four $250,000 Classic Series finals. (Dover Downs)

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