Harness racing: Heston Blue Chip looks to build on Breeders Crown success

Breeders Crown winner Heston Blue Chip is among a host of top performers scheduled to race on Sunday at Dover Downs. The three-year-old by American Ideal is one of seven racing in a $35,000 Preview for the Progress Pace.

Heston Blue Chip drew post three with regular pilot Tim Tetrick guiding the Linda Toscano-trained 11-time winner in 2012. Heston drew post three in a field that includes Tattersalls Pace winner Sweet Lou (post 1), North America Cup champion Thinking Out Loud (post 2), as well as Monument Circle winner Bettors Edge (post 6). The Progress Preview is race 10 on the 15-race Dover Downs program with a first post at 5:30 p.m.

Heston Blue Chip’s younger full brother, Sunfire Blue Chip, makes his stakes debut in the $55,325 Matron Stakes preview for juvenile pacing colts, race seven on the card. Tetrick picks up the catch driver for trainer Jimmy Takter behind Sunfire, a 1:53 1/5 winner in his first pari-mutuel start on October 31 at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs.

The $46,813 Matron Stakes elimination for three-year-old colt and gelding trotters features a return to major stakes action for early-season sensation Googoo Gaagaa. The Maryland-bred recently captured a pair of stakes events at Rosecroft for state-breds and hopes to regain the winning form that saw him capture the $500,000 Colonial Trot back in August at Harrah’s Philadelphia. Googoo Gaagaa drew post nine with regular pilot Corey Callahan in the bike. He will face Little Brown Fox (post 7) as well as his stablemates Uncle Peter (post 4) and Guccio (post 5). Also signed on is Kentucky Futurity champion My MVP (post 1). Eight of the nine entered will advance to next week’s final.

Breeders Crown two-year-old filly champion Somwherovrarainbow drew the rail in the $53,550 preview for the Matron Stakes in this class. The George Teague-trained filly, a product of champion parents Somebeachsomewhere and Rainbow Blue, looks for her fifth straight stakes victory. Montrell Teague will drive her from post one in the evening’s second race.

Shelliscape, most recently second in the Breeders Crown, is the 6-5 favorite in the $41,313 Matron Stakes elimination for three-year-old pacing fillies. John Campbell will once again guide the Artiscape-sired filly from post six in the nine-horse field also looking to remove just one filly.