Corey Callahan wins 24 races over four days

DOVER, Del.—- From Monday-Thursday, Corey Callahan won 24 race. Dover Down's leading driver since the 2009-10 meet, has racked up 204 wins through 72 racing days. His UDRS (similar to a batting average) is an outstanding .415. His drives this meet have earned nearly $1.7-million in purse for the horses he has driven. After winning seven races on Tuesday (2/17), Callahan followed with an eight-win night, one fewer than the track record of nine wins (2/ 27/11) by Tim Tetrick. Callahan, the track's leading driver for the past seven seasons, has already wrapped up the 2014-15 title.

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The latest long win-streak ended at five when trotter Joyeux Dream finished second on the Wednesday (2/18) card. The current leader is trotter Razor Ramone, winner of five wins in-a-row. JS McFlash has won three in succession

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Two popular area harness favorite drivers, Ross Wolfenden and Tim Tetrick, are among the missing these days. Wolfenden is vacationing until mid -March with his family in New Zealand. Tetrick is also Down Under, competing in the World Driver Championship in Australia starting this weekend, Tetrick represents the U.S.A. against the best in Europe and Australasia in the week's competition.

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While Tim Tetrick is away in Australia preparing for the World Driver competition, his brother Trace Tetrick, drove Powerful Charger, a horse Tim and Jim King own, for the geldings first victory of the year in the sub-feature trot on Wednesday.

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Eric Ell lifted his outstanding UTRS "batting average" to around .450 this meet, buoyed by with third training wins Wednesday (2/10); by Razor Ramone, Enrico AS and Go Go Red Marty. Owners Bill Dittmar and Steve Iaquinta own all three, with Ken Wood, a partner, on two.

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The biggest social night in harness racing takes place on Sunday, in Orlando, Fla., at the annual U.S.Harness Writers Association's (USHWA) Dan Patch Awards-Dinner. The top horses and individuals during the 2014 season will be saluted. JR She'salady won the writers balloting for "Horse of the Year," the first two-year-old in years to win the coveted title.

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Among the honorees at the USHWA Night of Champions is Heather Vitale. She a double 2014-season winner in the broadcasting category. for her TV feature on Canada's top trainer Casey Coleman on CBS Sports Network and for a feature on harness racing in Ireland shown on her Post Time show on Delmarva station WBOC-TV.

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Aaron Merriman is the leader, with Corey Callahan, second, in wins among leading drivers during 2015 in North America. Ron Pierce is presently fourth in winning drives. Ron Burke, is again, the leading trainer, in wins and money won. Wayne Givens and Dylan Davis, have moved up to the top 5 trainers in North America.

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At Dover Downs, this meet, Corey Callahan has driven winners of 203 races. Allan Davis has reach three-digit wins, second with 100. Ross Wolfenden is third, with 91 wins. Vic Kirby is fourth, 86, and Tony Morgan, 72 , completes the top five.

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There is a two way tie for first-place among trainers. Doug Lewis and Dylan Davis, the meet's defending champion has tied with each haltering 42 winners. Wayne Givens is a close third with 40 wins. Jim King is fourth with 35 winners. Nick Surick is in fifth- place with 34 winners.

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Harness Horse International (HHI) annual meeting and awards presentation is set for March 1-March 5 in Deerfield Beach, Fla. Sal DeMario, executive director of Delaware Standardbred Owners Association (DSOA) is representing local horsemen. The HHI Dominic Frini Person of the Year,'will go to past president, Gene Oldfield. The HHI Appreciation Award to Jerry Knppenberger, recent Ohio Hall of Fame inductee, and former Ohio Harness Horsemen's Assoc. GM, and harness horse editor of the Daily Racing Form, Derek Giwner, receives the Clyde Hirt Media award.

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Marv Bachrad