Driver Scott Zeron is more than optimistic about his chances of capturing Wednesday’s $274,720 Progress Pace at Dover Downs. The final major stakes event on the calendar for sophomore pacers finds Zeron behind Captain Optimistic, a son of Captaintreacherous looking to regain his winning form and exact a bit of revenge against the logical favorite Dandy Ideal. “I was very happy with the draw,” said Zeron from Florida where he’ll likely spend most of the next three months. The draw put elimination winner Dandy Ideal to post eight while Captain Optimistic will start from post four in the nine-horse field. “I think it’s the third time in a row we drew post four,” said Zeron correctly. Captain Optimistic chased Dandy Ideal to a second-place finish in the Matron a few weeks ago but the Progress figures to be a different kind of race. “My horse has been strong right throughout. I pulled the pocket behind Dandy Ideal in the Matron and chased him to the wire,” said Zeron. Obviously post position plays a major role in nearly every race but Zeron’s confidence in the Nancy Takter-trainee comes from experience. “I followed Prince Hal Hanover in the elimination, and he got a little tired,” said Zeron of the troubled trip in last Thursday’s (November 20) Progress Pace elimination. “I think that trip will set him up nicely for the final.” Captain Optimistic showed his solid gate speed in the Progress trial, getting away in second through a 26 2/5 opening quarter behind Prince Hal Hanover. When the leader tired Zeron had to wait for room with Captain Optimistic full of pace at the finish. Ultimately he settled for third behind Madden Oaks and Papis Rocket. Zeron picked up the drive behind Captain Optimistic in this year’s Little Brown Jug and guided him to a third-place finish behind Louprint. Since then he’s been ultra-consistent, winning a Bluegrass division at The Red Mile in late September in a 1:48 clocking and then finishing a solid third in this year’s Breeders Crown following a long overland trip. The Dover five-eighths mile track appears to suit him well, with his tactical speed and closing power his biggest assets. With $612K banked this year, Captain Optimistic is the third richest horse in the Progress, with Dandy Ideal’s $914K bankroll leading the group. Dandy Ideal enters the progress in brilliant form for trainer Hunter Oakes and 2025’s leading driver Jason Bartlett. The son of American Ideal has shown blistering gate speed and plenty of courage winning 11 of his 18 starts this year, and is undefeated at Dover with a win in the Matron followed by a Progress Pace elimination score last week. None of those attributes helped in the open post draw as Dandy Ideal starts on the outside of the gate in Wednesday’s tenth race at Dover. Last year Dandy Ideal won the last race of his campaign and first start for then new trainer Oakes in the Matron for 2-year-olds, going wire-to-wire in a 1:50 3/5 seasonsal-best clocking. As a sophomore Dandy Ideal was dominant on the New York Sire Stakes circuit winning the rich final, but also showed his talent at multiple Grand Circuit events. A memorable score in the $300,000 Max Hempt Memorial at Pocono in August where Dandy Ideal battled and defeated many of the same rivals he’ll meet on Wednesday was perhaps his biggest achievement. Meadowlands Pace winner Madden Oaks debuted another driver in last week’s Progress trial and Simon Allard could have been the key to the return to the winner’s circle for the Cam Capone trainee. Madden Oaks, who got his nose up ahead of Papi’s Rocket, completed the 1:50 3/5 mile as a 15-1 outsider but should be lower odds in Wednesday final. Allard indicated that both he and Capone had come up with a plan to help calm down Madden Oaks before the race and make him more manageable to drive in competition. Madden Oaks drew post three for the final. With five horses qualifying for the final trainer Ron Burke has the numbers working to his advantage, but it’s hard to say which of his horses will step up enough to beat the favorites in this contest. Swingtown (post 1) drew the best of the quintet but barely scraped his way into the final with a fifth-place finish in last week’s trials. Railroad Station (post 5), Papi’s Rocket (post 6) and TH Colby (post 7) have been bit players in the major sophomore races throughout the season. Newcomer Fallout (post 9) made his first start in the Burke stable following a two-year career with trainer Tony Alagna and was a decent third to Dandy Ideal after being hard-used through the opening quarter in his elimination. With a second-tier draw Fallout may give Burke his best chance at an upset. Rounding out the Progress field is Fusion (post 2) for trainer Brett Pelling and driver Dexter Dunn. Much like Captain Optimistic, Fusion was trapped inside in last week’s elimination and found room in time to reach the final while not actually getting a chance to show much before the wire. The impeccably bred son of Always B Miki and Pure Country has done some of his best racing in the last six weeks and should be a factor. Dover’s pre-Thanksgiving program offers 15 races with a first post of 4:30 p.m. expected. As a co-feature there’s a $110,000 Standardbred Breeders Fund for 2-year-old filly pacers slated as race eight.