Diabolic Hill dominates $124,200 Matron Stakes

DOVER, Del. — Fresh off his lifetime-best 1:50.4 performance in the Breeders Crown 3-Year-Old Colt and Gelding Trot, Diabolic Hill scored the third graded stakes triumph of his career in the $124,200 Grade 2 Matron Stakes for sophomore male trotters on Thursday (Nov. 12) at Bally’s Dover, keeping a challenge from AI 1-3/4 lengths at bay.

With Todd McCarthy at the lines, Diabolic Hill yielded to Minoan (driven by Andy McCarthy) for a pocket ride through a :27 first quarter. After AI (Dexter Dunn) briefly pushed to the lead, Diabolic Hill emerged from third to take charge with a lap to go, and the Muscle Hill-Crysti Dream colt faced nary a challenge through middle splits of :55.1 and 1:23.2 before edging clear of AI in the final yards of a 1:51.2 mile. Minoan finished third, another 2-1/2 lengths behind.

DIABOLIC HILL REPLAY

Trainer Annie Stoebe co-owns Diabolic Hill, who paid $2.10 to win as the 1-20 favorite, with Mario Mazza and AC Crawford Racing Stable. Now a nine-time winner, Diabolic Hill has banked $1,143,267 in his career.

Two other millionaires claimed victory in their respective Matron divisions: Loua Dipa, who led a Ron Burke-trained exacta in the $103,000 Matron for pacing fillies; and Pepsi North America Cup champ Odds On Mr Mamba, who slithered back into the spotlight in the $124,800 Hap Hansen Matron, for male pacers.

Loua Dipa (Sweet Lou), who earlier this year won the Grade 1 Fan Hanover and Jugette, was one of three fillies to contest a :25.4 first quarter before driver Ronnie Wrenn Jr. backed her off to stalk from third with a lap to go and Be Perfect BG (Louis-Philippe Roy) surged to the fore at the end of a scorching :53 half mile. Upon reaching the backstretch, Loua Dipa was flushed first-over by stablemate She’s A Bulldog (Gingras), and the Sweet Lou-Looksgoodinaromper filly turned on the jets to overpower Be Perfect BG before the 1:20.3 three-quarters.

Turning for home, She’s A Bulldog continued off cover to take aim at the lead, but Loua Dipa proved resolute and prevailed by a half length in 1:49.2. Say Goodnight (Tim Tetrick) followed a live tow into third, over Darlin’s Angel (Lauren Tritton) who escaped a failing pocket to save fourth.

LOUA DIPA REPLAY

Loua Dipa, who competes as a homebred for Burke Racing Stable and Weaver Bruscemi, paid $3.40 to win as the 3-5 favorite. The Matron win was the 17th of her career, and she has now bankrolled $1,404,118.

In the Hansen, Odds On Mr Mamba and Dexter Dunn aborted a leave attempt in favor of a pocket journey behind 1-2 favorite Al Papi (Gingras), who cut fractions of :26.3 and :55 before bracing for a first-over push from Gentleman’s Club (Andy McCarthy) through a :26.3 third split and around the far turn. With Al Papi working to fend off pressure, Odds On Mr Mamba was poised to strike up the open stretch, and the Odds On Equuleus-Honky Tonk Woman gelding struck the front with 50 yards to go in the 1:49.3 mile before extending his winning margin over Al Papi to three-quarters of a length. Gentleman’s Club finished third.

ODDS ON MR MAMBA REPLAY

Melanie Wrenn trains 13-time winner Odds On Mr Mamba, who has earned $1,063,636, for Odds On Racing. Off the 4-1 third choice, Odds On Mr Mamba paid $10.80 to win.

Rounding out the quartet of Matron winners was TLH Racing’s Custom, who rolled to a 1:51.4 win in the $173,250 sophomore filly trot.

With Jason Bartlett at the controls for trainer Petter Engblom, the Walner-Goldy Mary FR filly took charge from Storybook Love (Todd Ratchford) just past a :27.2 quarter, rated middle splits of :56 and 1:24.2, and widened her advantage steadily through a :27.2 closing quarter to defeat Storybook Love by 5 lengths. Who Dares Wins (Åke Svanstedt) finished third.

CUSTOM REPLAY

Custom, an eight-time winner, has earned $433,473 in her career. She paid $3 to win as the 1-2 favorite.

Aeneas doubles up in DSBF pacing prelims

David Hamm and Frank Chick’s Aeneas ($4.60) became the only 2-year-old male pacer to sweep his Delaware Standardbred Breeders’ Fund (DSBF) preliminary legs with a career-best 1:54.2 win over He’s Soaring in the second of three $20,000 divisions.

Montrell Teague took advantage of a pocket ride with Aeneas behind fellow first-round winner He’s Soaring before diving to the open stretch and rallying to post his second career victory by a widening 1-1/4 lengths. Jamie Sullivan trains the Highalator-Sequoia Seelster gelding, whom Dr. William Solomon bred.

Lifetime bests also fell in the other two DSBF divisions, with the winners also posting major upsets.

• Blue Jay’s Watchin ($73.20) emerged from the pocket 100 yards from home and lifted to just edge 1-20 favorite Hawaiian Warfare in 1:53.4. Tony Morgan drove the He’s Watching-NF Salsa gelding to his fourth career win for trainer Daniel Gassien, owner Richard Havens, and breeder Steve Wetzel.

• DM’s Delight ($21.60) made every pole a winning one and parried a late lunge from the first-over Never Fold by a neck for a 1:57.4 score. Brandon Givens drove the Highalator-Cashmere’s Delight gelding to his second career win for trainer Les Givens and owner/breeder Donna Messick.

The top eight point earners from both preliminary rounds will convene for the $110,000 series final next Thursday (Nov. 19). They are: Aeneas, Hawaiian Warfare, He’s Soaring, Blue Jay’s Watchin, DM’s Delight, Bootcamp Baby, See Jack Run and Earl’s Watching.

‘Muskateer’ invades, prevails in Blue Hen

Calcutta Stable’s Muskateer Hanover ($4.60) made his first start in Delaware since March a winning one, rallying up the open stretch to nab 3-5 pacesetter Wehadababyetzaboy for a 1:51.1 score in the $27,500 Blue Hen Open Handicap Pace.

Tim Tetrick protected the pocket with Muskateer Hanover as Wehadababyetzaboy (Givens) pushed forward from post 8 to control splits of :26.3, :54.3 and 1:22 and worked to fend off a first-over challenge from Steven’s Saloon (Jason Thompson) through the far turn. Muskateer Hanover tracked through the far turn before diving inside in mid-stretch to reel in Wehadababyetzaboy by a neck. Back Pocket Miki (Michael Cole) lifted off cover to narrowly collar Steven’s Saloon for third.

Jason Johnson trains Muskateer Hanover, a 6-year-old Sweet Lou-Marinade Hanover who recorded the 32nd win of his career.

Racing returns to Bally’s Dover on Monday (Nov. 16) with a 15-race card due to begin at 4:30 p.m. (EST).