Vintage Master, Schoolkids wins Progress elims

Vintage Master and Schoolkids scored off-the-pace victories in $35,000 Progress Pace eliminations and while Showherthemoney, Swan For All, Howthehaloareyou, and Yursa Hanover won Matron 3-year-old elim divisions Sunday at Dover Downs.

 

Daniel Dube pulled Vintage Master out to follow the cover of Bunkmiester (David Miller) on the final turn and then exploded past the leaders for a 1:50.2 victory in his Progress Pace elim. Corey Callahan took Mr. Wiggles to the front and cut out the fast fractions. Vintage Master got away fifth until his late race speed burst. Vertical Horizon and Jim Morrill Jr. was the show horse. Artic Warrior (Tim Tetrick), fourth, also qualified for next Sunday's $350,000 final.

 

Jimmy Takter conditions Vintage Master for Brittany Farms and the Brian Monieson Trust. The win brings the Western Ideal-Art's Vintage colt's earnings to $1,302,811 this season.

In the other Progress Pace elim, Schoolkids, one of two Tracy Brainard trained winners for Bulletproof Enterprises during the night, rolled down the passing lane for Tim Tetrick to ease past leader Go Go Solano and George Brennan in deep stretch for a 1:50.3 decision. Zee Barber was a game third with Brian Sears driving. Rusty's All In (Dube) was fourth.

 

Lightly raced Swan For All toyed with nine rivals for a 1:54.1 score in one of two $42,257 division for sophomore colt and gelding trotters. Miller piloted the Andover Hall-Swan Lake colt for trainer Erv Miller. Jaavos Boy had a two-hole trip and finished second. Calchips Brute took third for trainer-driver Trond Smedshammer. PJ Clark (Andy Miller) finished third.

 

The win was only the fifth start and third win this season for owners John Carver, Mystical Marker and Diamond Creek farms. Swan For All now has won seven of 10 races with two seconds lifetime.

 

Unbeatable since mid Summer, Bulletproof Enterprises' Showherthemoney notched her 11th win of the season equaling the track record by Rainbow Blue for her age, gait and gender, romping to a 1:51 triumph in the $55,750 Matron Preview for filly pacers. Morrill took the Cam's Card Shark-Everything's Easy bay to the front and never was troubled on the way to victory, one of two training wins for Tracy Brainard.

 

Dave Palone pulled Ginger And Fred out of third on the backstretch and offered an effort but could not get to the winner's bike. Showherthemoney was chased home by North American's leading driver Jody Jamieson driving Special Sweetheart with Ginger And Fred holding on for third. All seven starters return for next Sunday's rich final.

 

George Brennan, who seems to specialize with passing lane victories at the track did it again. Brennan urged Aci Stuteri AB's Howthehaloareyou along the inside to catch Hot Shot Blue Chip in the final stride for a 1:54.3 victory in the $42,257 Matron Colt and Gelding Trot. David Miller took the lead early driving Hot Shot Blue Chip but was challenged by Triumphant Caviar heading to the half and the pair dueled through the backstretch and around the last turn as the rest of the field bunched for the drive down the lane. Howthehaloareyou, trained by Anette Lorentzon, came on strongly to get up in the last stride by a nose. Tagyoureit Hanover finished third with Andy Miller while NF Quotable and Tim Tetrick was fourth qualifying for the final.

 

Tetrick won the first of his two elim winners guiding Yursa Hanover home in 1:55. He whirled the Windsong's Legacy-Yankee Topaz filly out of third at the top of the lane and overtook second-place finisher, the Sears-driven Rapson, for her sixth win of the year. Benoit Baillargeon trains Yursa Hanover for owner Richard Berthaume. Honorable Daughter, winner of the 2008 Matron in track and world record time finished third with John Campbell at the controls. Sirenuse (Mike Lachance) also made the final by finishing fourth.

 

The other $35,694 sophomore filly trot was a second win for driver Brennan, Lorentzon and owner Aci Stuteri AB when Jersey AS out-trotted race favorite Windsong Soprano and Lachance in the stretch and pulled off for a 1:55.2 victory equaling the Muscles Yankee-Superlou AS lifetime record. Musical Mystery and Ron Pierce came from far back to edge Windsong Soprano for second. The first four finishers in each elim return next Sunday for lucrative finals. (Dover Downs)