Big money and plenty of Dover action

Use Your Noodle and Della Donne came through with impressive harness racing victories in $20,000 Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund 2nd leg 3-year-old filly pace divisions on Tuesday, April 5 at Dover Downs. Fashion Sundown closed well to win the $24,000 Mares Open.

Jim Morand made good use of a 2-hole trip to overtake race-favorite Apple Bottom Jeans (Montrell Teague) in deep stretch to score a 1:52.3 lifetime mark in the first $20,000 prelim. The win was the second straight for the Artzina-Lo Gophobia sophomore beating the DSBF freshman champion. Use Your Noodle is trained by Les Givens for owners Feeney, Johnson, Faragalli III and Nanticoke Racing. Eternal Ring (Jonathan Roberts) has been racing well but had to accept a third-place finish.

Della Donne and Corey Callahan made up for a disappointing second last week by chalking up a 1:54.3 victory, also a new personal mark, coming from post 8 and on the mid-backstretch went four-wide to get the lead and pull off to a convincing victory. The Dylan Davis-trainee won for the fourth time this year in five starts for Brit Evans, Tina Clark and Foulk Stables who own the Art Director-Chloes Silver Star filly. Fiftyshadesofrusty (George Dennis) cut out all the fraction until Della Donne flew by in the stretch to victory. Rowdy Patti (Tony Morgan) picked up third money.

The top eight point-getters return next Tuesday for one of a weeklong cavalcade of $100,000 DSBF finals.

Fashion Showdown who finished February and began March with powerful Mare Open wins, returned to the winner's circle after Corey Callahan raced behind leader Empress Deo (Allan Davis) collared the leader nearing the finish line and scored a 1:52 victory for Chris White, her fifth success of the year. Craig McInnis conditions the Village Jolt-Catch The Show six-year-old who now has banked $$63,480 this year and $218,885 lifetime on 19 wins. Paradise Lost (Vic Kirby) finished third with Sage N (Tim Tetrick) and Sassa Hanover (Morand) out-of-the money.

In an $18,500 pace for eight four-year-old distaffs, Tom Kemp's Mezzanine Fashion notched her first win of the season in 1:53.2 when Tim Tetrick guided the Well Said-Catch The Show mare home. Little Sandyloam (Teague) was second in front of Girlofyourdreams (Callahan).

Only Money Inc.'s Truth And Liberty won her fourth consecutive trip to the winner's circle with Tim Tetrick in the bike steering a 1:53.1 success in a $16,000 4&5-Year-Old Mares pace. A Total Truth-Jazzy Hall four-year-old, she overtook and held off Tataria (Wolfenden) for her sixth win of the season. Eternal Sunrise (Callahan) was the show horse.

Tony Morgan and Corey Callahan drove three winners each, Tim Tetrick, George Dennis, Jim Morand and Allan Davis and trainer Les Givens had two wins each.

World champion JL Cruze takes on seven rivals in a $36,000 Open Preferred trot, the Wednesday feature race along with a pair of $20,000 DSBF prelims.

JL CRUZE AND TWO $20,000 DSBF SOPH FILLY TROTS SHARE SPOTLIGHT

World champion JL Cruze and two $20,000 2nd leg preliminaries are the headline events on a strong 15-race program at Dover Downs. First post is 4:30 p.m.

JL Cruze, fresh from a season’s debut 1:53  victory last Friday at Meadowlands, the 2015 Dan Patch Award winning Trotter of the Year, owned by Ken Wood, Bill Dittmar and Steve Iaquinto, performs before the home folks for the first time in the $36,000 Open Preferred trot in the 10th race. A pair of Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund (DSBF) 3-Year-Old Filly trots enter the second and final preliminary round. The top 5 point-getters return on April 13 for a $100,000 final.

Purchased after his 3-year-old season, JL Cruze, under the conditioning of Eric Ell and driving of Hall of Famer John Campbell, the gelding began his 4-year-old career at The Meadowlands sweeping all of the track’s winter series. He added both the Graduate final and Hambletonian Maturity to his tremendous record of 16 wins, 2 seconds in 21 races banking $627,456. Along the way he became the fastest trotter in history over a one-mile track with a 1:49.4 triumph in the Graduate final.

In the $36,000 Preferred trot, JL Cruze takes on Gural Hanover, with Andrew McCarthy, a $728,124-lifetime winner owned by Weaver Bruscemi, Little E, Panhellenic and Burke Racing stables, Aci Stuteri and Kjell Johansson’s Somebody AS. Driven by Corey Callahan, already a 2-time feature winner at the track. Two other starters, Frank Chick’s Awsome Valley with Tony Morgan and Mike Casalino’s Tough Mac with Art Stafford Jr., were winners last start.

The other starters are Indiana champ Bluebird Reverend and Montrell Teague for owners Bob Reeser, Denise Dennis, Jan Johannsen and Holly Case, Five Towns piloted by Tim Tetrick for LA Express Stable, and Callam Racing’s steady Spunky Jack reined by Roger Plante.

The 2nd of two $20,000 DSBF prelims seems a preview of next week’s $100,000 final .Both Kevin Switzer’s Jasmine K (Teague) and JCraparotta&PBerry Racing’s Epic Smash (Pat Berry) were impressive 1st leg winners while Jane Dunavant’s homebred Cicada’s Song, already a winner of 6 of 9 lifetime races, was parked-out the entire mile and still finished second beaten only three-quarters of a length.  

The rest of the card features a strong array of quality trots.

Dover Downs races four days a week through April 14, Mondays through Thursdays beginning at 4:30 p.m. No Live racing on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.                                                                               

Watch the races and enjoy dining in the Winners Circle Restaurant’s acclaimed Harness Buffet. Call 302-674-4600 for reservations.

Simulcasting of harness and thoroughbred racing is available daily from 12 Noon until 12 Midnight at Dover Downs where there is no charge for parking and admission. Reservations are suggested for the Winner’s Circle Restaurant and for those planning to stay at the 4-star Dover Downs Hotel. Phone 302-674-4600.

Marv Bachrad