DOVER, Del— Bags To Riches is living up to his name. Tim Tetrick drove the Only Money Inc. harness racing home bred to his second $100,000 Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund (DSBF). After winning the two-year old final last November he completed his double scoring an impressive 1:51.4 victory on April 13 at Dover Downs. Blazing Bobby Sox took the $27,500 Delaware Special. Corey Callahan, Dylan Davis and Enhance Your Mind won season ending awards.
Tetrick and Bags To Riches the lead from post 1 and took no prisoners en route to his fourth victory of the year and eighth in 13 lifetime starts – only one time out of the first three – to earn $165,062 for owners Only Money Inc. and Jason Skinner, his trainer. Henry The Dragon (Jim Morand), second wagering favorite, broke stride going the first turn while driver Tetrick was turning in on. After a :27.1 opening stanza, Bags To Riches reached the three quarters in 1:22.4 and the Roddy’s Bags Again-Paint The Sky Blue cold was a convincing winner in 1:51.4. Tony Morgan rallied James Isaac for a fast-finishing second and 54-1 Automatic Dragon came on for Vic Kirby for third. Daiymir, the only horse to beat Bags To Riches this season, was scratched sick.
Blazing Bobby Sox was at the top of his game in the $27,500 Delaware Special recording a lifetime best 1:49 triumph. Trainer Art Stafford Jr. who owns The Panderosa-Liamatters gelding with his dad Art Stafford, sat alongside Remember Me VK (Montrell Teague) for most of the last half and pulled away after the final turn to victory. Poisonous (Ross Wolfenden), last week’s event winner, streaked down the lane to finish second with Captive Audience (Corey Callahan) third.
Callahan drove Mike Casalino and Dylan Davis’ Jet Airway, son of Jereme’s Jet-Aromatic, to his second win in his last three, and fourth win of 2017. He registered his 20th career success lifting his bankroll to $495,430. Te Kawau N (Tetrick) was runner-up. El Bloombito (Sean Bier), the early leader, was the show horse.
During the program, Bryan Truitt, owner, trainer of the track’s top female pacer, Enhance Your Mind, accepted the Horse Of The Meet award. Corey Callahan won his eighth straight Leading Driver Award and with two wins during the closing program, Dylan Davis made it four consecutive Leading Trainer titles.
This was final program of Dover Downs’ 48th season. Many thanks to all those who helped make the 2016-2017 meet arguable the finest season in track history.
Delaware harness racing now moves Harrington Raceway which begins a week from Monday.
At Dover Downs top harness and thoroughbred races are featured in the Racing and Sports Book daily for 12 Noon until 12 Midnight.
Marv Bachrad
