Dover: When Dovescry leads all the way in taking Matron title

In 2018 When Dovescry finished second in the Breeders Crown and then won the Matron at Dover Downs, and she did the same thing this year, going right down the road to a 1:52 2/5 tally in the $176,150 contest for 3-year-old filly trotters on Thursday evening.

Driver Simon Allard pointed When Dovescry right to the front from post six, and she was on the engine well before the 27 second opening quarter flashed up on the board. Allard was then able to steal his charge a second quarter breather, getting to the half in just 56 1/5 while The Ice Dutchess (Yannick Gingras), who tucked in fourth from post eight, tried a first-over move.

The tempo picked up big time past the half as Allard stepped on the accelerator with When Dovescry and went to three-quarters in 1:23 4/5. That quick third quarter also put The Ice Dutchess into retreat mode on the outside, forcing a second-over Evident Beauty (David Miller) three-wide before three-quarters. Breeders Crown champion Winndevie (Brian Sears) was tracking Evident Beauty, but then hooked wheels with The Ice Dutchess on the far turn, knocking her out of contention.

Meanwhile, When Dovescry continued her front-end mission around the final bend and to the top of the lane, but Evident Beauty was looming as was Only Take Cash (Tim Tetrick), who angled out for clearance after sitting inside in the three-hole. Neither of them could reach When Dovescry, though, as the Hambletonian Oaks champion held sway to score by half a length. Only Take Cash was second, and Evident Beauty wound up third. Beautiful Sin (Ake Svanstedt) faded to fourth after a pocket trip, and Grand Swan (Lewayne Miller) moved up from eighth to fifth in the final quarter.

"She really likes the front-end. She likes when they come at her, and she hears them coming. She's great that way," said Allard. "It usually helps when if you race near the front compared to Mohawk, where sometimes it's better from the back. At Mohawk we got second, but a five-eighths is definitely her kind of track."

Rene Allard trains When Dovescry, a Muscle Hill filly, for owners Go Fast Stable, Yves Sarrazin, Kapildeo Singh, and Lawrence Dumain. This was her tenth career win, and she has now earned $935,090. She was the 5-2 favorite and paid $7.60 to win.