$50,950 Trot Final won in huge romp

It’s one thing to win a race by a few lengths over the field and then there was She Is Strong (Anders Bluestone) who on Monday (March 27) at Bally’s Dover Downs won by nearly half the length of the stretch over a sloppy track in capturing the $50,950 Final of the Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund for three-year-old harness racing trotting fillies.

The 4^th race feature started off with Miss Daburg (Pat Berry) shooting to the early lead from the rail with Last Nights Hit (Art Stafford, Jr.) sitting the two-hole trip and the 2/5 race favorite, She Is Strong and driver Tim Tetrick, sitting in third place. The opening quarter was in :28.

Miss Daburg continued to lead the way past the half mile marker in :57.3 with the field still in single file. As they reached the backstretch, Tetrick started first-over with She Is Strong and that flushed Last Nights Hit first-over, but when Last Nights Hit could not gain any ground on Miss Daburg, Tetrick sent She Is Strong three-wide by the three-quarters in 1:27.2.

Clearing to the lead before the top of the stretch, Tetrick let She Is Strong have her head and the filly kicked in another gear as she was leading by eight lengths at the top of the stretch, winning by nine and one-half lengths in 1:56.4. Lady Brass (Russell Foster) was second with Miss Daburg third.

“I just wanted to stay clear (at the start), no mishaps,” said winning driver Tim Tetrick. “I knew Pat’s horse (Miss Daburg) on the rail had plenty of speed, so I knew the fractions were going to be strong. I was going to sit close and not have too much work to do and it worked out really well.”

“She is a very gutsy filly,” said winning trainer Art Stafford, Jr. “She’s not too big but she gives you all she can.”

SHE IS STRONG REPLAY

It was a lifetime mark and the second straight win in three starts for She Is Strong. The filly is trained by Art Stafford, Jr. for owner Jeff Clark of Centereville, MD, who bred the filly with Vernon Cannon. She paid $2.80 to win.

On Tuesday, three-year-old colt and gelding trotters compete in the $50,950 DSBF Late Closer Final. Also on the betting card is the $25,000 Open Trot featuring JL Cruze, who won last week.

Post time at Bally’s Dover is 4:30 pm.

For complete race results, click here.

by Steve Wolf, for Harnesslink