Seafood Scrapy upsets in $100,000 DSBF final

DOVER, Del.—. In a Ben Hur-like finish, Seafood Scrappy was around at the finish to win the 2016 $100,000 Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund final at Dover Downs on Monday, April 11.

With the race favorites dropping like flies early, Seafood Scrappy, also a survivor after breaking stride on the first turn, but quickly recovering for driver Ross Wolfenden. Odds-on favorite previously unbeaten in both impressive preliminary wins, Chipoffthewall (Tony Morgan) then went off-stride after second-choice Mondello (Art Stafford Jr.) broke in front of him. From there it was a wild-west show. Morgan got Chipoffthewall back trotting, caught the field quickly and then roared up on the outside to challenge for the lead before breaking stride again on the final turn.

It the stretch, Overnight Shipper (George Dennis) had the lead turning down the lane before he made a misstep. 99-1 shot Samuel J (Vic Kirby) took the lead. Then 22-1 Outside The Line, (Tim Tetrick) made the front while Seaford Scrappy closed with a rush to win the photo in 1:59 for trainer Josh Green and owners Seaford Delight and JJ&M stables. Outside The Line and Samuel J, second and third, combine with the winner for a 5-3-7 trifecta paying $13,077.80. The victory was Seafood Scrappy's second of the year, third lifetime, with his career bankroll soaring to $94,810.

In the $36,000 Open Preferred Handicap pace, Tim Tetrick bided his time steering Rockeyed Optimist until the top of the lane when he chased down Atta Boy Dan (Yannick Gingras) to notch a 1:48.2 victory, a track record for an older gelding. Smart Rokker (Morgan), who has come into his own in recent weeks, came to take third money. It was the second win in three starts this meet for Rockeyed Optimist, owned by Perretti, Berkner, Battaglia and A&B Stables, who now has won five of his seven starts and $90,250 in 2016. His career reads 20 wins in 41 races and $360,795 earnings.

Blazing Bobby Sox turned in his second victory in the $33,000 Delaware Special sitting on the outside on the backstretch then overpowering Bad Boy Matt (Allan Davis) in the stretch for a 1:50.3 conquest. Remember Me VK (Dennis) led early and finished third.

Art Stafford Jr. trains and drives The Panderosa-Liamatters five-year-old gelding co- owned by his father veteran horseman Art Stafford. The win was the sixth of the season for Blazing Bobby Sox who now has won $76,415 this year. During his career he has 14 wins and $129,596 lifetime.

The program was filled with fast wins. Janet Hudson's Just A Jolt (Tetrick) won wire-to-wire in 1:49.2 to win a $17,000 Winners-Over pace. Trainer Dylan Davis' third win came when J&T Silva and Robert Cooper stables' Go Collect N (Corey Callahan) won for the seventh time this year in 1:51.4. Foulk Stables' Sparky Mark (Tetrick) scored in a big 1:50.1 mile to win one of a pair of $14,500 Male paces.

Crissman Inc.'s Fancy Colt (Morgan) won the other in 1:50.2. Swapportunity (Jim Morand), owned by Ed Maas, Arlene Paisley and Nanticoke Racing, lowered his lifetime mark to 1:51.4 in one of two 4&5-Year-Old paces for a $16,500 purse. In the other section, going for $18,000, Mark Howard's McJagersonthemove (Morgan) rang up a 1:52 score. Meanwhile, Cashendash Hanover (Jonathan Roberts) notched a 1:49.2 decision in a $20,000 Male Claiming pace.

Tim Tetrick, Tony Morgan and trainer Dylan Davis had three wins apiece. George Dennis and Jonathan Roberts had two winning drives.

The Dover Downs 47th season comes to a close with a $100,000 DSBF final every day this week. The top 8 point-getters after two preliminary legs meet. Tuesday, filly pacers are in the spotlight with filly trotters on Wednesday. Closing day, Thursday, April 14 features male pacers going for $100,000.

Della Donne and Use Your Noodle, fresh from big wins in their last Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund (DSBF) prelims take on Apple Bottim Jeans,  upset last week, Cougar Creek and Fiftyshadesofrusty, among eight starters in the $100,000 final. Divine Caroline and Table Talk, two stakes winners, join the $24,000 Mares Open Handicap on the regular card on Tuesday, April 12  card of the season, on Tuesday, April 12 at Dover Downs. Post time is 4:30 p m.

The $100,000 DSBF final should be one of the showdowns of the season, Della Donne, named for the Delaware female basketball sensation, rebounded with a victory after being upset the week before, will be driven by meet leading driver Corey Callahan for owners Brit Evans, Tina Clark and Foulk Stables. FaragaIli III, Feeney, Johnson and Nanticoke Racing's. Use Your Noodle, a winner of both her prelim including the win over Della Donne, drew the rail with Jim Morand in the bike. Alongside in the lineup is Jo Ann Looney-King's Cougar Creek with Vic Kirby) and Bobby Glassmeyer's Eternal Ring, piloted by Jonathan Roberts, who has been racing well.

Double champion KDK Standardbreds' Apple Bottom Jeans, handled by Montrell Teague, cannot be overlooked. She led until approaching the finish line last week and had to settle for second place.  Carter Racing's homebred Fiftyshadsofrusty with George Dennis has a pair of strong seconds to show. The other contenders are Roland Hall and Bryan Truitt's Rowdy Patti with Tony Morgan and Mark Gray's Motel Molly with Vic Kirby.

A pair of sterling female pacers are new to the $24,000 Mares Open/Handicap. Divine Caroline (David Miller), owned by Wilmington's Rojan Stable, Val D'or Farms, Ted Gewertz and M.A. Ouriel, makes her season's debut after two impressive qualifying wins. The 2015 Breeders Crown champion has the outside post 8. The Wiz Kids Stable's seasoned Table Talk (Jonathan Roberts) is also making her first start of the year. Chris White's fast Fashion Showdown (Callahan) won this event last week edging Legacy Racing's front pacing Empress Deo (Allan Davis).

Not to be overlooked are Jeff Clark's fast finishing Springforth (Dennis), Bob Winkelman's Paradise Lost (Kirby), JFE Enterprises' Scandalicious (Tetrick) and Brian Malone's Hostess Lisa (Morgan).

by Marv Bachrad, for Dover Downs