stakes Recaps

McCarthy sweeps Matron sophomore paces

Todd McCarthy captured both 3-year-old pacing divisions of the Matron Stakes, held Thursday (Nov. 7) at Bally’s Dover, teaming up with Little Brown Jug winner Captain Albano to take the $185,500 sophomore male pace and Kentucky Sire Stakes champion Direction in the $116,500 sophomore filly pace.

Captain Albano strode strongly to the fore from post five and controlled a :27 first quarter before yielding to 1-2 favorite and Breeders Crown champion Mirage Hanover (driven by Dexter Dunn), who brushed from the pocket, with a circuit to go. McCarthy bided his time with Captain Albano through middle splits of :53.4 and 1:21.2 before vacating the pocket midway on the far turn and collaring Mirage Hanover by a half length in 1:48.4. Huntingforchrome (Matt Kakaley) stalked the top pair throughout and narrowly held third over Captain Luke.

Noel Daley trains Captain Albano, a 17-time winner with $1,412,773 in the bank from 25 starts, for Patricia Stable, LA Express Stable, Sjoblom Racing and Michael Dolan. As the 6-5 second choice, Captain Albano paid $4.60 to win.

McCarthy’s Matron double kicked off when Direction turned a pocket trip behind two-time Breeders Crown champion My Girl EJ into a 1:50.2 win in the filly pace.

The Always B Miki-Blood Red filly pushed clear of Tarrific (Jason Bartlett) just beyond a :26.4 first quarter before yielding to My Girl EJ (Dunn) with a lap to go and stalking middle splits of :54.2 and 1:22.3. On the far turn, 3-5 favorite My Girl EJ faced intensifying pressure from the first-over Rocket Deo, setting up for Direction to pounce up the open stretch and prevail by a neck over Rocket Deo (Andy McCarthy). My Girl EJ was a game third.

Brett Pelling trains Direction, a Diamond Creek Racing homebred with 12 career wins and $570,221 in earnings from 20 starts. She paid $12.00 to win.

While Breeders Crown champs were upset in both Matron sophomore paces, Ryan Smith’s Allegiant completed the Crown-Matron double with a 1:51.1 win in the $146,100 sophomore filly trot and became a millionaire in the act.

Scott Zeron and Allegiant yielded to the pocket behind R Melina (Todd McCarthy) at the end of a :27.1 first quarter, retook at the bell to control :55.4 and 1:24.1 intermediate fractions, and then edged clear steadily through a :27 sprint home to win by 2-3/4 lengths. R Melina was an isolated second over She Shaq (Åke Svanstedt).

Linda Toscano trains Allegiant, now an 11-time winner with $1,006,222 in the bank from 26 starts. She paid $3.20 to win as the 3-5 favorite.

New York Sire Stakes champion Sir Pinocchio put his nose on the finish line first in the $152,800 sophomore male trot, inheriting the lead off the home turn when Highland Kismet broke stride and narrowly holding off Private Access for a 1:52.4 score.

In line to Jason Bartlett, Sir Pinocchio sat just off a contested :26.4 first quarter, was relegated to fourth with a lap to go when Highland Kismet (Tim Tetrick) cleared the lead, and began his first-over ascent at the :55 half-mile juncture. The Met’s Hall-Lady Cromwell gelding advanced steadily and ducked into the pocket up the backstretch as Highland Kismet rolled to three-quarters in 1:23. Midway on the far turn, Bartlett angled Sir Pinocchio out of the pocket and Highland Kismet broke stride, enabling Sir Pinocchio to inherit the lead turning for home. While all-out in the stretch, Sir Pinocchio found the winning post in time, fending off the late rally of Private Access (Louis-Philippe Roy) by a diminishing head in 1:52.4. Elhelpski (Peter Wrenn) finished a distant third.

Ed Hart trains Sir Pinocchio, now a 13-time winner with $689,329 earned from 24 starts, for owner-breeder Carolyn Atherton. He paid $5.40 to win.

Confederate coasts, crushes in Matron

November 9, 2023 -

Dover, DE — Breeders Crown champion Confederate cracked $2 million in career earnings with a punishing 1:49 win in the $170,850 Hap Hansen Matron Stakes for 3-year-old male pacers on Thursday (Nov. 9) at Bally’s Dover.

A $25,000 supplement into the Matron, Confederate floated into midfield as Cannibal (driven by Yannick Gingras) used :26.1 first-quarter speed to clear Ken Hanover (David Miller) for early control. After briefly tucking into fourth, Tim Tetrick — carrying the colors of Diamond Creek Racing — brushed Confederate to the top, seizing control at the end of a :54.3 half. Ken Hanover reemerged up the backstretch to apply first-over pressure to three-quarters in 1:22.1, but Confederate responded with a :26.4 sprint home, striding clear of Cannibal to win by two lengths under just mild encouragement at the sixteenth pole. Ken Hanover finished third.

Confederate became harness racing’s newest double millionaire with a 1:49 win in the Hap Hansen Matron Stakes for 3-year-old male pacers.

Brett Pelling trains 18-time winner Confederate, a son of Sweet Lou who paid $2.20 to win as the overwhelming favorite.

Dexter Dunn fashioned a Matron double with a pair of 3-year-old fillies: trotter Call Me Goo ($4.20) and pacer Twin B Joe Fresh ($2.60).

In the $141,450 Matron for trotting fillies, Call Me Goo worked forward through the first turn and cleared early leader Helpoftheseason (Gingras) past the :28 quarter, rated a :57.1 half, then parried a first-over threat from Quick Stop (Tetrick) past three-quarters in 1:25.2 before sprinting two lengths clear to a 1:53.2 victory. Quick Stop held second; Helpoftheseason was third.

Jason Skinner trains Call Me Goo, a daughter of Googoo Gaagaa with 16 career wins and $415,689 in the bank, for Graham Grace Stables.

Dunn came back to win the $117,550 Matron for pacing fillies with Twin B Joe Fresh, whom he co-owns with trainer Chris Ryder, Peter Trebotica and Barry Spak.

The Roll With Joe filly settled in third as Zanatta (Joe Bongiorno) carved out early splits of :27 and :55.1 before making her move with three-eighths to go. Once activated, Twin B Joe Fresh strode forward to overtake Zanatta past three-quarters in 1:22.3 and evaded runner-up McSeaside (Gingras) by a measured 1-1/4 lengths in 1:50.3. Always B Naughty (Andy McCarthy) followed Twin B Joe Fresh’s cover into third.

Now an 18-time winner, Twin B Joe Fresh has banked over $1.3 million in her career.

Point Of Perfect ($10.40) and Yannick Gingras rounded out the quartet of 3-year-old Matron winners, prevailing by a head in a three-horse photo over Khaosan Road (Åke Svanstedt) and Dire Straits (David Miller).

The son of Walner sprinted clear of Khaosan Road through a :27.1 first quarter before controlling middle splits of :57 and 1:24.4. Turning for home, Point Of Perfect braced for an inside challenge from Khaosan Road and an outside challenge from Dire Straits, but kept them both at bay while driven out to a 1:55 win for trainer Ron Burke and the partnership of Burke Racing Stable, Hatfield Stables, J&T Silva Stables and Knox Services. He now has won four times in his career and has banked $378,146.

Bettor’s Wish & Tall Drink Hanover win Matron paces

Nov 15

Dover, DE — After Dancin Lou snapped his four-race win streak in the Breeders Crown, Bettor’s Wish ($3.20) got back in the win column with a 1:49.2 score in the $248,350 Matron Stakes for 3-year-old pacing colts and geldings on Thursday (Nov. 14) at Dover Downs.

Bettor’s Wish worked clear of American Mercury (Tyler Buter) just beyond a :27 first quarter, but faced immediate pressure from Dancin Lou (Andy McCarthy) with a circuit to go and on toward a :53.2 half. With a quarter mile to go, Bettor’s Wish began to scamper away, turning aside Dancin Lou past three-quarters in 1:21.3. The son of Bettor’s Delight was kept to task through the final furlong, and he maintained 1-3/4 lengths of clearance over American Mercury. Aflame Hanover (Corey Callahan) angled off the pegs at head-stretch to chase and just miss the runner-up spot.

Trainer Chris Ryder co-owns Bettor’s Wish, an 18-time winner and an earner of over $1.8 million, with Bella Racing Ltd., Fair Island Farm Inc. and Bettor’s Wish Partners. Bettor’s Wish has finished first or second in all 18 of his starts this season.

Following a runner-up finish to Warrawee Ubeaut in the Breeders Crown, Tall Drink Hanover ($13.20) rode the pocket to victory in the $165,900 Matron for 3-year-old pacing fillies, reeling in her arch rival in the process.

Andy McCarthy put Tall Drink Hanover in play from the outset to seize early control, only to yield to prohibitive favorite Warrawee Ubeaut (Yannick Gingras) just behind a taxing :26 first quarter. After stalking a :54.2 half, Tall Drink Hanover found herself boxed as Sunny Dee (Brian Sears) offered first-over pressure up the far side. Off the home turn, Tall Drink Hanover angled to the open stretch and eclipsed the dueling leaders, beating Sunny Dee by three-quarters of a length in 1:50.2. Treacherous Reign (Dunn) lifted from third-over to narrowly take third over the engulfed Warrawee Ubeaut, who missed the board for the first time this year in her Matron defeat.

Tony Alagna trains 15-time winner Tall Drink Hanover, a daughter of Captaintreacherous, for Alagna Racing LLC, Marvin Katz and Riverview Racing LLC.

Breeders Crown champs encore with Matron wins

November 11, 2021

Dover, DE — Twelve days removed from their Breeders Crown triumphs, 3-year-old fillies Bella Bellini and Test Of Faith delivered successful encore performances in their respective Matron Stakes divisions, contested Thursday (Nov. 11) at Dover Downs.

In the $148,550 Matron for sophomore trotting fillies, Bella Bellini ($2.40) sat patiently in midfield while Moni For Lindy and You Ato Dream disputed the lead through a :56 opening half. Dexter Dunn cut the daughter of Bar Hopping loose up the backstretch, and she stormed to the lead with :26.4 third-quarter speed before vaulting clear by six lengths at the end of her 1:52.2 mile, her second-fastest winning mile to date. You Ato Dream saved second from a failing pocket, narrowly holding off a late bid from Iteration.

Richard ‘Nifty’ Norman, who won three of this year’s eight Matron Stakes, trains the David McDuffee homebred, whose 11 wins this season also included the Hambletonian Oaks and the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Final.

Test Of Faith ($2.60) used similar first-over tactics to claim victory in the $129,000 Matron for 3-year-old pacing fillies, but she had her hooves full with a two-pronged challenge from Ron Burke trainees Blue Diamond Eyes and Scarlett Hanover before sealing a 1:49.1 win. David Miller pointed the daughter of Art Major first-over out of third upon reaching the backstretch, and she worked forward to grind down pacesetter Scarlett Hanover beyond three-quarters in 1:21.2 before fending off Blue Diamond Eyes by a half length.

Brett Pelling trains the 22-time winner, whose current five-race win streak includes the Glen Garnsey Memorial, Courageous Lady and Breeders Crown, for Melvin Segal, the Kentuckiana Racing Stable and Eddie Gran.

After a game defeat to Perfect Sting in last month’s Breeders Crown, Don Tiger’s homebred Charlie May ($4.00) landed himself back in the win column, narrowly holding off a sustained charge from Lou’s Pearlman to win the $164,750 Matron for 3-year-old pacing colts and geldings in 1:49.2. The son of McArdle sprinted to a clear lead from post 7, rated a :56.2 first half in line to Brett Miller, and then gave his all to parry Lou’s Pearlman through a :53 back-half duel. Abuckabett Hanover lifted off second-over cover to finish third, missing by just a half length.

Steve Carter trains Charlie May, now a 17-time winner.

While the aforementioned trio of Matron winners all have cemented their places on Millionaires’ Row, the 3-year-old colt trot winner did so in only his fourth ever sojourn outside of Indiana. Recent Indiana Sires Stakes champion Swingforthefences ($6.40) lived up to his name in a big way, belting a home run in the $156,300 Matron for his division and out-sprinting Incommunicado to the winning post in 1:52.2.

The son of Swan For All, who came into the Matron on a five-race winning streak, cleared from post six in line to Peter Wrenn, controlled splits of :27, :56.3 and 1:24.1, and braced for Incommunicado’s challenge from the pocket nearing the top of the stretch. Swingforthefences did well to hold his ground in a :28 stretch duel, prevailing by three-quarters of a length over Incommunicado. In Range, the 6-5 favorite, lifted around stalled cover to finish third.

The Melanie Wrenn-trained Swingforthefences gave co-owner David McDuffee a Matron double. L&L Devisser LLC is the other partner in the 14-time winner.

Records fall in sophomore Matrons

Nov 13

Dover, DE — Dexter Dunn rewrote a sizeable chunk of the Dover Downs record book on Thursday night (Nov. 12), piloting both Amigo Volo ($3.20) and Party Girl Hill ($2.60) to track record performances in their respective Matron Stakes splits in the First State.

Amigo Volo’s 1:50.2 effort in the $162,350 Matron for 3-year-old trotting colts and geldings earned him a place in the track and world record books, knocking over a second off Pinkman’s world record for sophomore trotting geldings taken in 2015 at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.

The gelded son of Father Patrick strode to a clear lead over Coventry Hall (Andy McCarthy) and controlled splits of :26.3 and :54.4 while pursued — albeit futilely — by the first-over Play Trix On Me (Joe Bongiorno) to that point. With three-eighths to go, Amigo Volo began to shake away, reaching three-quarters in 1:23 and evading Back Of The Neck (Åke Svanstedt) — who circled three-wide into second — through the far turn.

In all, Amigo Volo amassed 6-1/2 lengths of clearance at the end of his record-breaking mile and 15th career win. Svanstedt trainees finished second through fifth: Back Of The Neck, Coventry Hall, Jula Trix Treasure (Yannick Gingras) and EL Ideal (Andy Miller).

Richard “Nifty” Norman trains Amigo Volo, who now has earned just over $1.5 million, for the Pinske Stables and David J. Miller. The two-time Breeders Crown winner completed a sweep of the Matron Stakes as well, having won as a 2-year-old in 2019 by the same 6-1/2-length margin.

Party Girl Hill may have missed Kiss Me Onthebeach’s divisional world record by two-fifths of a second, but her 1:49 performance in the $154,450 Matron for 3-year-old pacing fillies landed her in the Dover record books.

The daughter of Captaintreacherous yielded to third to stalk Priceless (Andy Miller) and Lyons Sentinel (Tim Tetrick) through a blistering :25.4 first quarter before making her move up the far side. When Lyons Sentinel edged out of the pocket at the :54.2 midway stage, Dunn slid Party Girl Hill second-over to follow live cover. Lyons Sentinel put Priceless away with five-sixteenths to go, and after losing cover, Party Girl Hill continued on to strike the front midway on the far turn before winning by a measured 1-3/4 lengths. JK First Lady (Gingras) rode the winner’s cover to finish second; Rocknificent (Scott Zeron) also benefitted from the outer tier and gained into third.

Party Girl Hill, whose only defeat in 16 career starts to date came in the Breeders Crown, has amassed $880,345 in earnings — all this season. Chris Ryder trains the Tom Hill homebred.

An early break by Hambletonian winner and even money favorite Ramona Hill prevented her from finding redemption in the $163,050 Matron for sophomore trotting fillies, and it also paved the way for Hambletonian Oaks winner Sorella ($5.40) to score the 10th victory of her career.

Yannick Gingras used just a bit more than a :26.3 first quarter to work Sorella clear of early pacesetter Ab’sattitudexpress (Tetrick), before keeping the first-over Crucial (David Miller) at bay through a :58.2 middle half and evading a wide rally by 17-1 outsider Guinevere Hall (Dunn) to win by 1-1/2 lengths in 1:53.1. Ab’sattitudexpress finished third.

Nancy Takter trains Sorella, who has now earned $848,362 in her career. Breeder Elmer Fannin shares ownership of the Muscle Hill filly with Crawford Farms Racing and Brent Fannin.

The retirement of Tall Dark Stranger made the $179,600 Matron for sophomore male pacers far more wide open than most previous events within the division, and the late-blooming Cattlewash ($2.80) had to work for every penny of the winner’s share of the purse.

The son of Somebeachsomewhere had to exert himself through a :26 first-quarter duel with Tattoo Artist (Gingras) before clearing shortly thereafter — but once in control of the terms, David Miller had little opportunity to ration Cattlewash’s speed. After only managing to rate the half to :53.4, Cattlewash faced first-over pressure from Little Brown Jug winner Captain Barbossa (Joee Bongiorno) up the far side.

While Cattlewash shrugged off Captain Barbossa’s challenge on the final turn, another pair of challengers were waiting in the wings to take their shots in the final furlong: Tattoo Artist launched for the open stretch, and No Lou Zing (Dunn) vaulted off cover. Cattlewash was driven out to narrowly prevail in 1:48.3. No Lou Zing lunged late for second over Tattoo Artist, who was fully extended to stay on.

Ron Burke trains 10-time winner Cattlewash, who has now earned $799,777 for owner-breeder Bill Donovan.

Gimpanzee, When Dovescry win Matron trots

Nov 15

Dover, DE — Breeders Crown winner Gimpanzee and Hambletonian Oaks winner When Dovescry added another Grand Circuit title to their respective résumés with victories in the Matron Stakes for 3-year-old trotters on Thursday (Nov. 14) at Dover Downs.

In the $208,300 Matron for sophomore trotting colts and geldings, Gimpanzee ($2.80) and Brian Sears sprinted to the early lead before yielding control to Chin Chin Hall (Dexter Dunn) at the completion of a :27 first quarter. The son of Chapter Seven was relegated to third as Don’t Let’em (Yannick Gingras) brushed aggressively from midfield to clear with a circuit to go, but angled first-over to attack soon after stalking a :54.4 half.

On the backstretch, Gimpanzee sustained a strong attack on Don’t Let’em, taking charge effortlessly past three-quarters in 1:23 and drawing away at will for a 1:51.1 score. Chin Chin Hall emerged up the open stretch to take second, four lengths back, while Pilot Discretion (Andy McCarthy) rallied off cover for third.

Marcus Melander trains 17-time winner Gimpanzee for Courant Inc. and the S R F Stable.

The $176,150 Matron for 3-year-old trotting fillies saw Simon Allard send Breeders Crown runner-up When Dovescry ($7.60) clear of Beautiful Sin (Åke Svanstedt) and Only Take Cash (Tim Tetrick) into the first turn before controlling splits of :27, :56.1 and 1:23.4. With three-sixteenths to go, When Dovescry faced a bid from Evident Beauty (David Miller), who circled stalled cover to challenge on the final turn. The daughter of Muscle Hill successfully held her ground, holding off a late stand-side rally from Only Take Cash by a half length in 1:52.2. Evident Beauty stayed on between fillies to maintain third.

Rene Allard trains 10-time winner When Dovescry for the Go Fast Stable, Yves Sarrazin, Kapildeo Singh and Lawrence Dumain.

Bettor’s Wish & Tall Drink Hanover win Matron paces

After Dancin Lou snapped his four-race win streak in the Breeders Crown, Bettor’s Wish ($3.20) got back in the win column with a 1:49.2 score in the $248,350 Matron Stakes for 3-year-old pacing colts and geldings on Thursday (Nov. 14) at Dover Downs.

Bettor’s Wish worked clear of American Mercury (Tyler Buter) just beyond a :27 first quarter, but faced immediate pressure from Dancin Lou (Andy McCarthy) with a circuit to go and on toward a :53.2 half. With a quarter mile to go, Bettor’s Wish began to scamper away, turning aside Dancin Lou past three-quarters in 1:21.3. The son of Bettor’s Delight was kept to task through the final furlong, and he maintained 1-3/4 lengths of clearance over American Mercury. Aflame Hanover (Corey Callahan) angled off the pegs at head-stretch to chase and just miss the runner-up spot.

Trainer Chris Ryder co-owns Bettor’s Wish, an 18-time winner and an earner of over $1.8 million, with Bella Racing Ltd., Fair Island Farm Inc. and Bettor’s Wish Partners. Bettor’s Wish has finished first or second in all 18 of his starts this season.

Following a runner-up finish to Warrawee Ubeaut in the Breeders Crown, Tall Drink Hanover ($13.20) rode the pocket to victory in the $165,900 Matron for 3-year-old pacing fillies, reeling in her arch rival in the process.

Andy McCarthy put Tall Drink Hanover in play from the outset to seize early control, only to yield to prohibitive favorite Warrawee Ubeaut (Yannick Gingras) just behind a taxing :26 first quarter. After stalking a :54.2 half, Tall Drink Hanover found herself boxed as Sunny Dee (Brian Sears) offered first-over pressure up the far side. Off the home turn, Tall Drink Hanover angled to the open stretch and eclipsed the dueling leaders, beating Sunny Dee by three-quarters of a length in 1:50.2. Treacherous Reign (Dunn) lifted from third-over to narrowly take third over the engulfed Warrawee Ubeaut, who missed the board for the first time this year in her Matron defeat.

Tony Alagna trains 15-time winner Tall Drink Hanover, a daughter of Captaintreacherous, for Alagna Racing LLC, Marvin Katz and Riverview Racing LLC.