There is no live harness racing this Sunday, Nov. 8 at Dover Downs, but the entry box for Wednesday racing, Nov. 9 will be open from 10 a.m. until 12 Noon, sharp. The next Sunday card is for Nov. 13.

Matron Stakes and Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund event for two-year-old of both sexes and gaits highlighted a big Thursday, Nov. 3 card. A 32-1 longshot What's Goin On driven by Hall of Famer David Miller won the $171,300 colt pace while Ain't Three OK (Brian Sears) took the $170,000 filly pace in 1:52.4. Delaware-owned and Corey Callahan driven Fine Tuned Lady and Snowstorm Hanover (Matt Kakaley) won the Matron trots.

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Automatic Dragon (Vic Kirby) and Apple Heir (Jason Green) were the daily double winners. Later on in $20,000 DSBF 1st leg preliminaries, Henry The Dragon (Montrell Teague) in 1:52.1 and James Isaac (Tony Morgan), 1:53 won later DSBF freshman colt paces.

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Mel Mara led off the 2016-17 meet at Dover Downs recording a 1:49.1 triumph in the $30,000 Preferred Open Handicap. Drivers Art Stafford Jr., Bret Brittingham, trainer Eric Ell and owners Ken Wood, Bill Dittmar and Steve Iaquinta made the winner's circle three times each to highlight the opening card. Vic Kirby and trainer Jim King and owner Janet Hudson, and Allan Davis had two wins on the opening card of its 48th season on Monday.

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Several multiple win days highlighted opening week at Dover. On Tuesday, driver Yannick Gingras, trainer Josh Green and owner Lombardo won four races on the card. Driver Allan Davis boasted a triple while driver Vic Kirby and trainer Jim King had a double. Then on Wednesday, Nov. 2, Tim Tetrick and Jim Morand collected four wins apiece. Trainer King and owner Richard Pollucci had two win each.

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Fred Hertrich's Allamerican has purchased an interest in soon to be retired world champion pacer Always B Miki. Hertrich becomes the second Delawarean in ownership of the fastest harness horse in history owner of a 1:46 clocking.

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Dover Downs horseman Ken Wood has returned from his most recent on-going personal crusade commuting to West Africa to provide water to the nations of Ghana and Tanzania. Wood's acclaimed humanitarian effort, 'Wells For Ghana' drilling, provides water to needy inhabitants who previously had to walk five miles to find water that was deemed unsafe. Wood usually makes a three-week round trip. Wood reports he has totaled more than 1,000 wells in Ghana and another 500 in Tanzania. The wells serve more than 2-million native West Africans who until now never had fresh water.

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Daryl Bier has returned from Florida after two years. Bier, who has been trouble with back problems, owns and drove the track records for fastest clocking 1:48 by Bandolino and the aged mare record of 1:49.1 by Higher And Higher. Both records are still shared as fastest performances. Bier's top horse is internationally known trotter Wind of The North.

Marv Bachrad