Shartin N, to lead post parade on Governors’ Day

HARRINGTON, Del. – Harrington Raceway's richest harness racing program of the season will commence Thursday (July 25) as part of the annual Governor's Day program during the Delaware State Fair.

A 10-race card with nearly $600,000 in total purses will start at 7 p.m.

Four Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund $100,000 finals for 3-year-olds will accompany popular annual events for older horses such as the $40,000 Governor's Cup, $30,000 Legislator's Cup, $30,000 Charles Murphy Memorial Trot and $20,000 President's Cup among others.

A special addition for this year's Governor's Day program will be the presence of two of Delaware's most notable Standardbreds, both of which are stabled in Harrington. Shartin N, the 2018 Dan Patch winner for Pacing Mare of the Year and current number one ranked horse in all of North America, as well as Lather Up, who earlier this month equaled harness racing's fastest mile of all-time of 1:46, will both be on-track to lead a post parade. The two pacers have garnered national attention and are even listed among Harrington's famous residents on the Wikipedia listing for the town. Shartin N will lead the third race Governor's Cup field, while Lather Up will lead the fourth race Legislator's Cup group.

The female pacers will kick off the program in the first race on the card, and first of the DSBF finals. A competitive group will go post ward that includes a powerful Jason Skinner-trained duo of Biggiessecondshot (4/1, Ross Wolfenden) and In And Out Again (5/2, Tim Tetrick). In And Out Again, a Roddy's Bags Again filly owned by Jason and Tim Skinner, swept her eliminations and won the earlier season final at Dover Downs. A daughter of No Spin Zone, Biggiessecondshot is owned by Joan Dalphon, Elanor Laws and the trainer.

The filly trotting final is slated sixth on the card, as Carol Jamieson-Parker's Dark Dutchess (9/5, Jack Parker Jr.), a daughter of He's Spooky, will vie for a sweep after winning both of her eliminations impressively. Rod Allen's Disco Soliel (5/2, Allen), a CR Commando filly, won the final at Dover Downs and looks to thwart Dark Dutchess' bid.

The male pacing final is the 8th race, Mst Racing Inc.'s Goldberg (9/5, Montrell Teague) will vie for a sweep of both 3-year-old finals after prevailing at Dover. The Mr. Wiggles colt won his June 10 elimination by 11 lengths.

The male trotting final will follow as Andrew Glassmeyer's Embrace The Grind (8/5, Jon Roberts) bids for a third straight win. The Keystone Activator gelding swept the eliminations and final at Dover Downs.

The Governor's Cup, programmed as race three, spearheads the races for older horses as Jo Ann Looney King's Q's Cruise (9/5, Tetrick) was installed as the morning line favorite. The Honorable Governor John Carney is expected to be on hand to present the trophy to the winning connections for the popular annual event with local bragging rights at stake. Legacy Racing and Reggie Hazzard's Sicily (2/1, Kirby) recently surpassed $500,000 in career earnings and figures to have a strong presence in the race among the contentious field.

A formidable group will battle in the 4th race Legislator's Cup for pacing mares, familiar rivals like Vince Copeland's Goin Again (7/2, Copeland), Bonnie Benson, John Johannsen, Andrew Stafford and Holly Case's Artrageous (3/1, Art Stafford Jr.) and Legacy Racing, Nanticoke Racing, Reggie Hazzard and Gary Calloway's Delishka N (4/1, Allan Davis) among the field of eight.

The featured event for older trotters if the Charles Murphy Jr. Memorial, the seventh race. Victor Kirby's Jammin Jack (2/1, Kirby) will look to make his state fair debut a winning one after a banner 2019 campaign in which he has been in the top three in 16 of 20 starts.

Matthew Sparacino