Dover: DSBF prelims wrap up for sophomore pacing fillies

Stephen Messick's homebred Misty Coast established herself as the filly to beat in next week's $110,000 Delaware Standardbred Breeders' Fund (DSBF) series final for 3-year-old pacing fillies with a 1:55 1/5 win in her $20,000 second round preliminary division on Wednesday (Dec. 6) at Bally's Dover.

Following a 1:53 1/5 score in the first round, Misty Coast and driver Art Stafford Jr. seized control from She Is Risen (driven by Corey Callahan) on the first turn before controlling splits of 28 1/5, 57 2/5 and 1:26 2/5. The daughter of Powerful Mist-Cruisinthecoast widened her margin of clearance steadily through a 28 4/5 closing quarter, defeating She Is Risen by five lengths. Lulu Mist (Trae Porter) tracked the top pair throughout and lunged late to just miss the runner-up spot.

Misty Coast, who has now won 14 races and earned $242,550 in her career, is trained by Les Givens. She paid $2.10 to win.

The second division saw Hold My Wine follow up a second-place finish to Misty Coast in the first round with a 1:55 victory of her own. In line to Montrell Teague, the Badlands Hanover-Step Lively filly sat third behind dueling leaders Direct Mist (Ross Wolfenden) and No Gel Nikki (Pat Berry) through a 27 2/5 quarter before brushing to the fore with just over a lap remaining. Hold My Wine traveled uncontested through middle splits of 56 4/5 and 1:25 4/5 before pulling away from her rivals in the final three-sixteenths. Kims Secret Search (Tim Tetrick) sustained a first-over bid through the final half-mile to finish second, 10 1/4 lengths in arrears; Mavericks Missy (Russell Foster) followed live cover and finished third.

Hold My Wine, who has won seven races and earned $83,513 as a homebred for George & Tina Dennis Racing, is trained by Joe Columbo. She paid $2.10 to win.

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In addition to Misty Coast and Hold My Wine, the following fillies have qualified for the $110,000 series final, scheduled for next Wednesday (Dec. 13): Chatty Kathleen, Lulu Mist, She Is Risen, Kims Secret Search, No Gel Nikki and Mavericks Missy.

DSBF preliminary action at Bally's Dover concludes Thursday (Dec. 7) with two $20,000 second round divisions for 3-year-old male pacers kicking off a 15-race program. First post is 4:30 p.m. (EST).

--press release (DSBF)--