DOVER, Del.--- A trio of favorites – Totally Rusty, Spin Vision and Purrfect Bags – dominated $20,000 2nd leg Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund (DSBF) preliminaries while Wind Of The North held on to win the $20,000 Open/Handicap trot on April1 at Dover Downs. Red hot Vic Kirby had five wins.
It was no contest in the first DSBF prelim as Totally Rusty won for fun in 1:52.1 with Corey Callahan holding the lines for trainer Doug Lewis for breeder-owner Carter Racing Stable. The win was the 10th in 11 lifetime races for the chestnut homebred daughter of Rusty’s For Real-Rusty’s Joy, now a winner of $149,250 lifetime. Seeboomook Princess (Ross Wolfenden) closed well to nip Brian’s Thunder (Jim Morand) for place money.
Allan Davis guided Leigh Louthan’s homebred Spin Vision to victory in the second division, her sixth win this season in eight starts. Overall, the brown No Spin Zone-David’s Art filly has won nine times with four seconds in 19 starts banking $87,480 for the breeder, owner, trainer. Cedar Hall Heiress (George Dennis) and 17-1 Nella’s Bus (Vince Copeland) were second and third respectively.
Purrfect Bags remained near-perfect as Vic Kirby piloted the Jim King-conditioned Roddy’s Bags Again-Purrfectly Bad daughter to her ninth career win in 10 starts while earning $146,750 for owner JoAnn King. Gigi Deo (Wolfenden), a winner last week, had to settle for second. Love Forbidden (Callahan) was a strong third.
The top eight point-getters after the two rounds of DSBF prelims return next Wednesday for a $100,000 final.
Wind Of The North a late Fall purchase by Daryl Bier, made the winner’s circle for the first time this year turning in an impressive 1:52.3 triumph in the $20,000 Open/Handicap trot. The five-year-old altered son of Cantab Hall-Talk To The Wind, owned by trainer-driver Bier and Joann Dombeck, cut out the entire mile leading the quarter in :27.1 and trotting home in :27.2 to withstand a tremendous homestretch duel with runner-up Tough Mac (Callahan) who was a head back in second. Prayer Session (Jonathan Roberts) was the third horse home. Baximum was scratched.
Vic Kirby, the track’s third leading dash-win driver, who had three wins Tuesday, finished the day with five more. Corey Callahan won three while Allan Davis had a double. The battle for leading trainer has come down to a difference of two with defending champion Dylan Davis at 59 and with two winners Wednesday, Doug Lewis is at 57.
The top pacers of the meet, Bandolino and Jebswesternshark, both sub-150 winners last week head the big Thursday card in the $28,500 Delaware Special. The final $20,000 DSBF preliminaries for sophomore male pacers lead off the program.
Monday through Thursday post time is 4:30 p.m. There is no live racing Fridays and Saturdays. Sunday post time is 5:30 p.m.
Harness and Thoroughbred Simulcasting opens daily at 12 Noon until 12 Midnight at Dover Downs Race and Sports Book in the Colonnade. There is no charge for parking or admission at Dover Downs.