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The prestigious harness racing Grand Circuit rolls into Dover, Delaware on Thursday, November 10 with more than $560,000 in purses for the four Matron Stakes at Bally’s Dover Downs.
Each of the four divisions for three-year-old trotters and pacers has season’s leading champion in the races.
The $135,300 Matron Stake for three-year-old trotting fillies is first up in the 6th race Thursday.
Headlining the field is Joviality S (Chapter Seven) from the Marcus Melander Stable. This filly nearly won the Hambletonian against the boys and was second by a neck in Kentucky Filly Futurity. She was third in her last start in the Breeders Crown and will start from post seven for driver Brian Sears.
Owned by Courant, Inc. of Delray Beach, FL, Joviality S has won 11 of her 15 starts this year, has a record of 1:50.2 and has won five of her last seven starts.
Her competition includes Raised By Lindy (post 2), who was second in the Breeders Crown for Lindy Farms of Conn. who owns and bred the filly. Virgin Mary S (post 5) is coming off a victory in a $42,200 division of the John Simpson Stakes where she won in a lifetime best mile of 1:54.4 at Harrah’s Philadelphia and she will be driven by Yannick Gingras.
The 8th race is the $143,950 Matron Stakes for three-year-old trotting colts and featured is the red-hot King Of The North (Walner). Winless until last month, he has made up for lost time with a three-race winning streak that includes the elimination and final of the Breeders Crown and last week won the $200,00 Carl Erskine Memorial at Harrah’s Hoosier Park.
King Of The North will be driven by Mark MacDonald for trainer and co-owner and breeder Ray Schnittker. Last year King Of The North was the Dan Patch Award winning two-year-old colt trotter of the year.
Also in the field are rivals Temporal Hanover (post 3), who has won $764,500 this year, Double Deceiver (post 1), a $452,215 winner this year, Slay (post 7) and B A Superhero (post 2).
The 10th race $123,950 Matron Stakes for three-year-old pacing fillies features the 2021 Dan Patch winner Niki Hill (Always B Miki) for driver Dexter Dunn. They drew post two and in her last start Niki Hill was second by just a neck in the Breeders Crown.
Injured after the start of her three-year-old season, Niki Hill has made a remarkable comeback for trainer Chris Ryder and owner Tom Hill. She already has a record mile recently, winning the $205,000 Glen Garnsey at the Red Mile in a lifetime best 1:48.4 clocking.
Hoping to upset the apple cart will be Captain Cowgirl (post 3) for driver Tim Tetrick, Boudoir Hanover (post 6) and Gotthegreenlight (post 8), who just won a division of the Simpson Stakes in 1:51.1.
Pebble Beach (Downbytheseaside), is the winner of the North America Cup, the $363,500 Tattersalls Pace and the $665,213 Breeders Crown. He has started in 15 races this year for trainer Noel Daley and has 8 wins, 6 seconds and 1 third place finish, never finishing off the board.
He is currently on a three-race winning streak for driver Todd McCarthy and this year has a record of 1:48.1 in winning the Breeders Crown final. He has won $1.2 million this year for owners the Patricia Stable, Joe Sbrocco, Country Club Acres and Laespressfoderadeovolente.
Pebble Beach will not have it too easy on Thursday as he faces some tough rivals in his race. They include nine-time winner, including the Messenger Pace, Pleaseletmeknow (post 3) for driver Matt Kakaley, I Did It My Way (post 7), a seven-time winner of $683,703 this year, Forever Boy (post 8) and Energetic Hanover (post 4), who has won his last two starts, last week a 1:49.4 victory in a $43,600 division of the Simpson Stakes.
First race post time at Bally’s Dover Downs Thursday is 4:30 pm.
For a free race program click here.
by Steve Wolf, for Harnesslink
