DOVER, Del.--- Sonofa Sizzle edged Smoking Joey to win the 100,000 Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund (DSBF) Three-Year-Old Colt pace event-record breaking time of 1:50.2 while Just A Jolt put on a wire-to-wire 1:49.2 performance in the $32,500 Preferred/Handicap on closing day of the 46th Dover Downs season, Thursday, April 9.
Corey Callahan rushed Smokin Joey away from the starting gate to beat KJ Ben (Art Stafford Jr.) to the front with race favorite Sonofa Sizzle and Vic Kirby getting away third. When the field reached the half in :54.1, Kirby sent Sonofa Sizzle up on the outside and initiated a two-horse battle for the lead. In the lane, Sonofa Sizzle edged to the front and to victory in 1:50.2, the fastest time recorded by a Delaware-sired sophomore in DSBF competition. Smoking Joey was a game second in front of Byby Landon and Tim Tetrick. Floridian Mike White owns the Life Sizzles-JK Lady Like colt who pedigree shows relationship to 2014 Harness Horse of the Year JK She’salady. Josh Green trained the three-year-old who now is undefeated in three starts this year and whose record shows seven wins in 13 races with three seconds and a third. He has now banded $70,000 this year and $185,516 in his short two-season career.
Trainer Shawn Hanley’s Bobby The Greek, in only his second lifetime start, racked up a 1:52 mile to win the $20,000 DSBF consolation. The Artzina-Anastasia Hanover gelding was followed by Da Chief (Jonathan Roberts) second, and Quick Art (Jim Morand), third.
Just A Jolt, an ultra-consistent five-year-old gelding conditioned by Jim King, by Village Jolt-Just Wait Kate. and owned by Janet Hudson, was all front speed in a lifetime best 1:49.2 score in the $32,500 Preferred/Handicap pace. Vic Kirby took Just A Jolt right to the front in a speedy :26 seconds and then was in control the rest of the mile, pacing the last panel in :26.4 to ensure his second win of the year in 11 races with four seconds and two thirds. Bandolito came from last in the six-horse field and came on strongly but could not overcome Just A Jolt’s advantage in deep stretch. Jebswesternshark was third for George Dennis.
Earlier in the program, Bandolito was presented the Horse Of The Meet plaque choses by Delaware Valley Chapter U.S. Harness Writers Association. Corey Callahan with 284 winners was Leading Driver for the sixth consecutive campaign and Dylan Davis won the Leading Trainer award for the second-straight meet.
Elite Awards became the second Delaware sired winner scoring a 1:50.4 victory at 22-1 reined by Eddie Davis Jr., to win an $18,500 4&5 Open. Karen Walls owns the Powerful Toy-Silk Slop four-year-old gelding who won for 17th time in his career. Fire In The Belly (Kirby) closed strongly for second with race-favorite Sir Richard Z Tam (Tetrick) third.
In the other $18,500 4&5-Year-Old Open/Handicap, Dan Keeler’s Mister Truth, trained by Vic Keeler, won for the third week in-a-row as Tony Morgan got the four-year-old altered son of Total Truth-Miss AJ Ponda. to victory in 1:52. Scalped (Montrell Teague) was runner-up in front of Major Bucks (Toby Lynch) in a tight three- horse photo.
Little Ben and Eddie Davis Jr. turned in a lifetime fastest 1:51.2 effort to win the first of two $17,500 Winners-Over paces for young male horses to give trainer Jim King the first of two wins. The Jereme’s Jet-Honey’s Bud Light gelding held of Getitoffyourchest (Jonathan Roberts) and Flirtnwithdisaster (Ross Wolfenden), second and third respectively.
The other $17,500 division went to another longshot, 20-1 Panic Disorder handled by Allan Davis. Steve and trainer Sheila Daugherty own the Western Terror-Jate’s Joy gelding. One Stop Deal (Callahan) was next with Star Messenger (Tetrick) third.
Believe This Bob closed strongly to insure a 1:51 victory in a $16,500 Male Winners-Over pace. Owned by Mary Ann Larrimore and conditioned by Joe Skowyra, the Beach Romeo-Believe This Gal homebred recorded his third win of the year. Feel Like A Fool (Callahan) was second for the third straight start. Nova Artist (Allan Davis) came on for third.
Apollo Seelster, driven and trained by meet leaders Corey Callahan and Dylan Davis, scored another lifetime best 1:51 triumph in another $15,000 event for young male horses. The Camluck-April Three gelding won for the fourth straight time catching New Patrol (George Dennis) in the final strides. Giant Slayer (Tetrick) finished third.
The second race of the day, a $20,000-$25,000 Claiming Handicap resulted in a stunning 1:50.3 victory by J&M Racing’s Tauranga (Roberts), a No Pan Intended-Thereal Ideal gelding. Guns An Roses (Allan Davis) was second in front of Arsenal (Kirby).
Corey Callahan, Allan Davis, Eddie Davis Jr. and Vic Kirby had doubles.
There is no charge for admission or for parking at Dover Downs. 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.