Dover: Misty Coast crushes foes in DSBF final for 3YO filly pacers

Another overwhelming favorite lived up to the hype on Wednesday (Dec. 13) at Bally's Dover as Stephen Messick's homebred Misty Coast proved a handy 1:53 1/5 winner in the $110,000 Delaware Standardbred Breeders’ Fund (DSBF) series final for 3-year-old pacing fillies.

In line to Art Stafford Jr., 1-20 public choice Misty Coast asserted herself from post five at race's outset, seating 122-1 outsider No Gel Nikki (driven by Pat Berry) in the pocket through a 27 1/5 first quarter while She Is Risen (Corey Callahan) and Hold My Wine (Montrell Teague) tracked the top pair from their inside posts. Misty Coast rated a 56 3/5 half unchallenged before widening her lead up the backstretch. With three-eighths to go, No Gel Nikki began to severely gap the pocket and was overtaken for second by the first-over Hold My Wine, but Misty Coast maintained 2 1/2 lengths of clearance at three-quarters in 1:24 1/5. The Powerful Mist-Cruisinthecoast filly kept Hold My Wine well in her wake through the stretch, winning by 5 1/2 lengths, equaling her lifetime mark, and capping a series sweep. She Is Risen saved third, another 9 1/4 lengths in arrears.

Misty Coast, a 15-time winner with $297,550 in career earnings, is trained by Les Givens. She paid $2.10 to win.

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The $20,000 consolation heat went to Direct Mist and driver Ross Wolfenden, who overcame severe traffic on the far turn to outlast a late charge from Spoiled Rotn Girl by two lengths in 1:58. Wayne Givens trains the Powerful Mist-Yankee Vista filly for owner-breeder Legacy Racing of Delaware.

The 2023 DSBF season concludes Thursday (Dec. 14) with the $110,000 series final for 3-year-old pacing colts and geldings, which is carded the 10th event on a 15-race program at Bally’s Dover. First post is 4:30 p.m. EST.

--press release (DSBF)--