Dover: Newborn Sassy extends winning streak to eight in Matron

Newborn Sassy kept the good times rolling in winning her eighth straight race, one of four rich Matron stakes for 2-year-olds on the Thursday Dover Downs card.

Sent off as the 1-5 favorite, Newborn Sassy took charge in her $183,400 Matron for pacing fillies and clicked off fractions of 27 1/5, 56 3/5 and 1:24 4/5 before stopping the tele-timer in 1:52. Penpal rallied nicely from off the pace to be a good second while Skinny Dipper settled for third.

“She does whatever she has to do and she is great to drive,” said winning pilot Tim Tetrick about the daughter of Western Ideal-Sass Newton.

An eight-time winner in 10 career starts for trainer Jim King, Jr., who co-owns with CC Racing LLC, Newborn Sassy has earned over $200,000 in her first year of racing.

There was no stopping Big Top Hanover in the $201,400 Matron for pacing colts. The Ron Burke trainee posted fractions of 26 3/5, 55 3/5 and 1:23 3/5 during a lifetime best 1:51 4/5 win with Yannick Gingras in the bike. Beach Ogre was second ahead of Pretty Boy Hill in a tight photo.

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“He’s a really nice colt, but he still doesn’t know what it is all about and he had never cut a mile until tonight,” said Gingras.

JT45 and Burke Racing LLC own the winner of almost $400,000 in his career.

Trotting colts kicked off the stakes action as Dog Gone Lucky charged out of the pocket to take home half of the $216,300 purse. Corey Callahan steered the winner to the 1:55 score over Milligan’s School and Love Matters.

“This colt was just a nice colt but as the season went along he has just gotten better and better,” said trainer Chuck Sylvester, who ranked him as the nicest offspring from sire Lucky Chucky.

Amy Lynn Stoltzfus and Charles Stansley own the career winner of $311,493.

Saving the best for last, Womans Will was visually the most impressive winner on the card, besting her filly trotting foes by open lengths to take the lion’s share of an $185,400 prize.

After tucking in fourth and watching behind fractions of 27 3/5 and 57 1/5, Womans Will was on the move at the half to apply heavy pressure. She cleared leader Kathy Parker and pulled away with easy for the win in 1:54 2/5 over that foe and Radiant Beam.

“She finally had things go her way and was on her game tonight,” said Andy Miller, who drove for wife/trainer Julie and owners Al Libfeld and Marvin Katz.

Womans Will, a winner of five races in 12 career starts, will head to the Meadowlands for her next stakes assignment.