Dover: Thiskissformaryell maintains DSBF dominance

Following his sweep of the Delaware Standardbred Breeders' Fund series for 2-year-old male trotters at Harrington Raceway in October, Thiskissformaryell capped another series sweep on Tuesday (Nov. 25) with a career best-equaling 1:58 4/5 win in the $110,000 championship of his DSBF series at Bally's Dover.

Thiskissformaryell and driver Jim Morand yielded early control to Swee'pea (driven by Corey Callahn), who left hard from post eight, at the end of a 28 second first quarter before vacating the pocket and reclaiming the top spot shortly thereafter. The Iron Mine Bucky-Twin B Kisses gelding coasted through middle splits of 59 seconds and 1:29 before parrying a mild challenge from Swee'pea off the home turn and edging clear to defeat him by 2 3/4 lengths. Money Manager (Ross Wolfenden) rallied mildly off the final turn to finish third, another half-length behind.

Les Givens trains Thiskissformaryell, a seven-time winner with $164,516 in earnings from 12 starts, for Nanticoke Racing and breeders James Magno and Joseph Fonte. He paid $4 to win as the even-money favorite.

► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter

The $20,000 DSBF consolation for rookie male trotters saw Shirley Shand's homebred Cosmic Flash and driver Corey Callahan brush from third with a circuit to go and evade runner-up Prime Yield (Art Stafford Jr.) by 1 3/4 lengths to win in 2:03. Ross Shand trains the Anders Bluestone-Victory Starburst colt, who scored his first victory from five starts.

The quartet of DSBF championship events for 2-year-olds concludes Wednesday (Nov. 26) with the $110,000 Ramona Hubbard, for 2-year-old pacing fillies, carded as the eighth race on a 15-race program at Bally's Dover headlined by the Grade 2 Progress Pace. First post is 4:30 p.m. (EST).

--press release (DSBF)--