Dover: Familiar faces trot to more DSBF success

Kodack Black rolled to a repeat win in Delaware Standardbred Breeders' Fund preliminary action, taking top honors on Tuesday (Nov. 15) at Bally's Dover with a 1:57 score in his $20,000 second round split for 2-year-old trotters. Perfect Twenty and Miss Daburg also coasted to preliminary sweeps in their respective events, while Royal Flirt vaulted to a 24-1 upset in her division.

Kodack Black, who won by a widening 14 lengths in the first round, proved similarly decisive over four rivals in the first division for 2-year-old male trotters, missing his lifetime mark by just one-fifth of a second. Driver Montrell Teague angled the Kodak Lindy-Love On Broadway gelding out from third and brushed to clear Reddy Fox (driven by Art Stafford Jr.) after a 29 3/5 first quarter. Kodack Black advanced willingly and took control with just over a lap to go, and then rated middle splits of 59 2/5 and 1:28 3/5 before widening his lead steadily through the far turn. The three-time winner switched gears and sprinted home in 28 2/5 to put nine lengths of clearance on Reddy Fox at the winning post. Paleface (Allan Davis) finished third, another length behind.

Clyde Francis trains Kodack Black for owner-breeder George Teague Jr. Inc. and ownership partners David Collins and Lakiyah Teachey.

In the second split for colts and geldings, Perfect Twenty and driver Tim Tetrick dueled with Clifton Green stablemate Hespookshescores (Russell Foster) through the first eighth of a mile, cleared on the first turn, and traveled uncontested through sectionals of 29, 59 and 1:28 2/5 before drawing 8 1/4 lengths clear of his stablemate. Royal Mistake (Kim Vincent) improved mildly off the home turn to just miss second.

Robert Allison Jr. owns five-time winner Perfect Twenty, a Yankee Royalty-Jetta Spring gelding bred by Jason Leid.

Miss Daburg became the third 2-year-old trotter to sweep their Dover preliminary events with a pillar-to-post 2:00 win in the second division for fillies. Sent off the 4-5 favorite, the Anders Bluestone-Comical Dream filly strode easily to the lead from post four and was rated through a 1:00 3/5 first half by driver Pat Berry before facing a first-over challenge from Starlight Lounge (Tetrick) up the backstretch. Miss Daburg evaded her outside foe, accelerated five lengths clear on the final turn, and maintained 3 3/4 lengths of that margin at the end of the mile. Lady Brass (Foster) rallied off Starlight Lounge's cover to narrowly claim second in the final yards.

Traci Berry trains two-time winner Miss Daburg, who paid $3.60 to win. Owner J. Craparotta & P. Berry Racing LLC. bred the filly in partnership with Taylor Gower.

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The first filly division produced a major upset after odds-on leader She Is Strong (Stafford) faded sharply on the far turn after setting splits of 29 3/5, 1:00 and 1:30 3/5. Royal Flirt, in line to trainer-driver Kim Vincent, mounted a rally from third midway on the far turn and pushed to the fore at the eighth pole. From there, she sprinted 4 3/4 lengths clear of Gold Rate (Victor Kirby), who escaped a failing pocket to save second, and won in 2:01. Bluemoonrising (Ross Wolfenden) improved belatedly for third.

Royal Flirt, a Yankee Royalty-J N Payton filly who paid $51.60 to win in her maiden-breaking outing, is owned by Providence West Inc. and was bred by William Miller III.

The eight highest point earners of each sex will meet in $100,000 finals next Tuesday (Nov. 22).

The eligible colts and geldings are: Kodack Black, Perfect Twenty, Hespookshescores, Reddy Fox, Carl's Legacy, I Got It Made, Paleface and Rob's Road. The eligible fillies are: Miss Daburg, Royal Flirt, Lilmisswontbewrong, Lady Brass, Gold Rate, Last Nights Hit, Bluemoonrising and Fairlee.

The second preliminary round of the Bally's Dover DSBF series for 2-year-olds wraps up Wednesday (Nov. 16), with three $20,000 divisions for pacing fillies slated to commence the card. The first division will take place as a non-wagering event at 4:10 p.m., while the other two kick off a 15-race pari-mutuel program scheduled for 4:30 p.m.

--press release (DSBF)--