Dover: Watch Em Win reigns in his DSBF final

Watch Em Win made every call a winning one in the $110,000 final of the Delaware Standardbred Breeders' Fund series for 2-year-old colts and geldings on the pace at Bally's Dover, asserting his dominance up the backstretch en route to a career-best and stakes record-tying 1:51 2/5 score on Thursday (Nov. 20).

In line to Tim Tetrick for trainer Ron Burke, Watch Em Win yielded briefly to C Millertimeagain (driven by Corey Callahan) upon entering the first turn before brushing to control through a 26 3/5 opening quarter. Once clear, Watch Em Win backed the half down to 56 seconds before sprinting clear of his seven rivals up the backstretch through a 27 second third split. The He's Watching-Winners Over colt had built up a four length lead on C Millertimeagain off the corner for home before Tetrick took him in-hand with 70 yards to go and measured his margin of victory to 1 1/4 lengths. Slugger On Deck (Allan Davis) finished third after stalking the top pair throughout the entire mile.

Watch Em Win, who paid $2.10 to win as the 1-20 favorite, has won eight of 12 races and earned $185,558 for Burke Racing Stable, Knox Services, Phil Collura and Weaver Bruscemi. His 1:51 2/5 win time tied the DSBF stakes record for rookie male pacers set in 2016 by Bags To Riches.

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The $20,000 DSBF consolation saw Iheartmum and driver Art Stafford Jr. forge clear of K D's Song (Montrell Teague) at the end of a 27 1/5 first quarter before steadily drawing clear late to stop the timer in 1:54 and win by 3 3/4 lengths for owner/trainer/breeder Janet Davis. The Badlands Hanover-Iheartquestionmark gelding paid $3.40 to win as the 3-5 favorite.

Rookie trotting fillies will contest their DSBF series championship on Monday (Nov. 24), with the $110,000 Marv Bachrad slated as the eighth race on a 15-race program at Bally's Dover. First post is 4:30 p.m. (EST).

--press release (DSBF)--