Master Clave, Lunar Phase, Spoonful and Bags To Riches all emerged as champions of $100,000 Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund events this week at Dover Downs.

by Marv Bachrad / Dover Downs

Just as he had done sweeping two $20,000 prelims, Master Clave went right to the front and was in total command scoring a 1:59 triumph on April 10 at Dover Downs in the Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund (DSBF) three-year-old male trot, the first of a final week-long Delaware-sired championships for sophomores.

Ross Wolfenden was at the controls as the altered son of the late Master Lavec from Dilly Dally Delia by Maryland’s finest trotter Go Get Lost won his third consecutive start of the year and eighth in 11 career races. Trained by John Wilkerson for breeder/owner Ben Brooks, Master Lavec skied his bankroll to $166,750 lifetime.

Master Clave made up for his performance in last November’s two-year-old DSBF $100,000 when he was the odds-on favorite but was overtaken after leading and finished fourth.

Jiggs, a prelim winner, was second from the start with Vic Kirby driving. Kirby In Command and Jared Moyer was third in front of Yagot A Winner with Carlo Poliseno and the Art Stafford-driven Master Kingpin who got the fourth and fifth place payoffs, respectively.

Lunar Phase tops pacing fillies

Lunar Phase, last week a 40-1 longshot winner, is now the DSBF sophomore pacing filly champion winning the $100,000 Delaware-sired title on April 11 at Dover Downs.

Art Stafford Jr., trains, drives and co-owns Lunar Phase with Wyatt Starkey. Lunar Phase enjoyed a 2-hole trip behind race favorite Vic Kirby-driven Logan’s Girl, who had a three-race win streak at race time. In the stretch, Stafford pulled out and overtook the leader to score a lifetime fastest 1:52.1 victory.

“She was underdeveloped last year and only raced five times with one win, but she came back stronger this year,” said Stafford,

The daughter of Roddy’s Bags Again—Blue Moon Artist was bred by Dr. Bill Moffett. Logan’s Girl went the biggest mile of her career and finished second. Diva Demands (Corey Callahan) edged Free Flight Fran (Ross Wolfenden) for third place. Spanish Dream was scratched.

The $20,000 DSBF consolation was all Westwood Roddylee driven by Tim Tetrick, a wire-to-wire 1:54.1 winner or trainer Jason Skinner and breeder/owner Joel and Dianne Halpern. The win was the first of 2017 for the Roddy’s Bags Again—Lee’s Best homebred. It was her fifth win lifetime bringing her bankroll to $60,460.

Spoonful takes filly trot

Spoonful won her second $100,000 DSBF final in six months holding on by a nose on April 12 at Dover Downs in the three-year-old filly trot final. Celebrity Pegasus set a new track record for an older trotter when he turned in a powerful 1:52 performance in the $20,000 open trot, while Jim Morand had a driving triple.

Trained by Les Givens, who has trained more DSBF winners than any other conditioner, Spoonful won for third time this year and seventh time in 18 races lifetime earning $174,512 for owners Delbert Cain and Nanticoke Racing.

Morand was concerned as Spoonful led turning for home. “I was worried Spoonful was tiring coming down the stretch, but she had just enough to make it,” he said.

After winning both her $20,000 DSBF prelims, the Political Briefing—Sanctions sophomore was installed a 4-5 favorite in the field of eight. On the backstretch, leader Willow Mill Anna (Donnie Long) began to tire and back through the field when Morand moved Spoonful quickly into the lead. In the lane, Ross Wolfenden came on strongly driving Gogh Cinorita and missed by a nose catching Spoonful in the 2:00 final. Black Magic Mist (Art Stafford Jr.) took third in front of Political Energy (Cory Callahan) with Luv Is Blind (Vic Kirby) taking fifth place money.

In the $20,000 DSBF consolation, Redneck Red, a CR Commando—Diamonds For Julie chestnut gelding homebred notched his first career win scoring in 2:01.2 for trainer Arlene Cameron and owner Pamela Wagner. A Chorus Line (Jason Thompson) finished second. Hashtag Hope (Stafford Jr.) was third.

Celebrity Pegasus got away third behind Tough Mac (Callahan) and Gural Hanover (Tony Morgan) in the $20,000 open trot handicap. Heading past the three-quarters, Art Stafford Jr. rushed the five-year-old son of Andover Hall—Celebrity Athena past the leaders on the outside before the final turn to take the lead and opened up with a :27.3 final panel to score a 1:52 triumph breaking the former track record held by Hes Spooky (Eric Carlson) established in March 2013 of 1:52.3. Wind Of The North (Kirby) came on for second. Gural Hanover (Morgan) was the show finisher.

Bags To Riches takes male trot

Bags To Riches is living up to his name. Tim Tetrick drove the Only Money Inc. homebred to his second $100,000 DSBF. After winning the two-year-old final last November he completed his double scoring an impressive 1:51.4 victory on April 13 at Dover Downs. Blazing Bobby Sox took the $27,500 Delaware Special. Corey Callahan, Dylan Davis and Enhance Your Mind won season-ending awards.

Tetrick and Bags To Riches took the lead from post one and took no prisoners en route to his fourth victory of the year and eighth in 13 lifetime starts to earn $165,062 for owners Only Money Inc. and Jason Skinner, his trainer. Henry The Dragon (Jim Morand), second wagering favorite, broke stride going the first turn. After a :27.1 opening stanza, Bags To Riches reached the three quarters in 1:22.4 and the Roddy’s Bags Again—Paint The Sky Blue colt was a convincing winner in 1:51.4. Tony Morgan rallied James Isaac for a fast-finishing second and 54-1 Automatic Dragon came on for Vic Kirby for third. Daiymir, the only horse to beat Bags To Riches this season, was scratched sick.

Blazing Bobby Sox was at the top of his game in the $27,500 Delaware Special recording a lifetime best 1:49 triumph. Trainer Art Stafford Jr. who owns The Panderosa—Liamatters gelding with his dad Art Stafford, sat alongside Remember Me VK (Montrell Teague) for most of the last half and pulled away after the final turn to victory. Poisonous (Ross Wolfenden), last week’s event winner, streaked down the lane to finish second with Captive Audience (Corey Callahan) third.

During the program, Bryan Truitt, owner, trainer of the track’s top female pacer, Enhance Your Mind, accepted the Horse Of The Meet award. Corey Callahan won his eighth straight Leading Driver Award and with two wins during the closing program, Dylan Davis made it four consecutive Leading Trainer titles.

This was final program of Dover Downs’ 48th season.