Dover: Melvin G maintains DSBF dominance

Legacy Racing of Delaware and Nanticoke Racing's Melvin G rolled to his sixth consecutive victory on Tuesday (Nov. 19) at Bally's Dover, leaving his five rivals well behind en route to a 1:57 2/5 score in the faster of two $20,000 second-round divisions of the Delaware Standardbred Breeders' Fund series for 2-year-old male trotters.

With two horses breaking stride before the start, Melvin G and driver Jim Morand only had three rivals to contend with at race's outset, and they pushed through at the pegs to seat Perfect Suprise (Pat Berry) in the pocket through a 29 second first quarter. After rating a 58 4/5 half, Melvin G began to pull away from the others, extending his margin to 2 1/2 lengths at three-quarters in 1:28 before passing the winning post five lengths clear of the late-gaining Legend Of Rock (Corey Callahan) while geared down. Perfect Suprise faded to third.

Les Givens trains Melvin G, an E L Platinum-Jersey Punk gelding whose sixth win from nine starts pushed him over $100,000 in lifetime earnings. He paid $2.10 to win as the 1-20 favorite.

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The first division saw second-time starter Yale and trainer-driver Art Stafford Jr. narrowly hold off Chex Check for a 1:58 4/5 win.

After finishing third to Melvin G on debut last week, Yale sustained a two-wide push through the first turn to work clear of Wolfpack Cheddar (Callahan) past a 28 4/5 first quarter before yielding for the pocket with a circuit to go. The E L Platinum-Press Corp colt pulled the pocket past three-quarters in 1:29, reeled in Wolfpack Cheddar, and evaded a late push from Chex Check (Tony Morgan) up the open stretch to win in 1:58 4/5. Bucky Highway (Berry) rallied to finish third over the engulfed Wolfpack Cheddar.

Yale, who paid $6.00 to win as the 2-1 second choice, competes as a homebred for Stacy Johnson-Stafford.

In addition to Melvin G, Yale, and first-round winner Wolfpack Cheddar, the following horses have qualified for the $110,000 DSBF series final, to be held Nov. 26: Chex Check, Bucky Highway, Legend Of Rock, Delaware Exactly and Perfect Suprise.

The second round of the 2-year-old pacing filly series takes place Wednesday (Nov. 20), with three $20,000 divisions programmed as the first, fourth and sixth events on a 15-race card. First post is 4:30 p.m. (EST).

--press release (DSBF)--