Dover: Misty Coast fastest in DSBF tests for 2YO filly pacers

Odds-on favorites Misty Coast and Killer Stripes both completed sweeps of their respective preliminary rounds in the Delaware Standardbred Breeders' Fund series for 2-year-old pacing fillies at Bally's Dover with strong front-end wins on Wednesday (Nov. 16) - and gave driver Art Stafford Jr. a stakes double.

Misty Coast again earned top billing when she strolled to a handy 1:56 3/5 score in the third and final $20,000 division, extending her current winning streak to seven races in the act. The Powerful Mist-Cruisinthecoast filly dueled with Direct Mist (driven by Trae Porter) and cleared for the lead on the first turn before controlling sectional times of 28 3/5, 58 1/5 and 1:27 4/5. After facing a mild bid from Direct Mist at the midpoint of the far turn, Misty Coast accelerated to preserve her lead, coasting home handily to win by 1 3/4 lengths. Direct Mist was a strong second; Clearlydreamy (Victor Kirby) was a one-paced third after stalking the top pair throughout.

Les Givens trains eight-time winner Misty Coast, who paid $2.10 to win, for owner-breeder Stephen Messick.

Killer Stripes was Stafford's other stakes winner, repelling a stern challenge from Hold My Wine to win for the second time in as many starts thus far. Stafford quarter-moved from third with the Badlands Hanover-Tiger Style filly, clearing Hold My Wine (Michael Cole) just before completing the first quarter in 28 4/5. After traveling uncontested through a cozy 59 2/5 middle-half, Killer Stripes faced pressure from Hold My Wine just above the eighth pole. Killer Stripes held her ground while driven out, staving off Hold My Wine's stretch-long bid by three-quarters of a length in 1:58 2/5. Chatty Kathleen (Pat Berry) rallied mildly for third, another 12 1/2 lengths behind.

Trainer Andrew Stafford co-owns the Winbak Farm-bred Killer Stripes, who paid $2.20 to win, with Thomas Ireland and Bonnie Benson.

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Kims Secret Search completed the trio of second round winners, lifting steadily out of third in line to Corey Callahan through the final three-eighths of the mile, eclipsing pace-setter No Gel Nikki (Montrell Teague) with an eighth to go, and edging clear to win by 2 1/4 lengths in 1:58 4/5. Spoiled Rotn Girl (Allan Davis) was third.

Kims Secret Search kicked off a stakes double for breeder Winbak Farm; John Wilkerson trains the Badlands Hanover-Search The Future filly for Kimberly Caulder.

Misty Coast, Killer Stripes, Kims Secret Search, and first round winner Direct Mist all earned berths to next Wednesday's (Nov. 23) $100,000 DSBF series final, as did No Gel Nikki, Clearly Dreamy, Hold My Wine and Spoiled Rotn Girl.

--press release (DSBF)--