DOVER, Del.— This Sunday is the last Sunday race day of the season at Dover Downs. Racing will continue Mondays through Thursdays until closing day April 9. Thursdays at the track will be a "special" day for those watching the races and dining at the Winners Circle Restaurant. For the rest of the meet which ends on April 9, there is a two-for-one entre special on the menu for Thursdays, only.
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Beginning Monday, May 23, the 2015 Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund (DSBF) three-year-old program begins with $20,000 preliminaries for filly and colt trotters and pacers. The top eight point-getters in each of the four divisions return for $100,000 the second week in April.
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While Ross Wolfenden returns from his month-long vacation in New Zealand, next Wednesday, two other of the most popular drivers of the season will not be available. Ron Pierce is undergoing laser surgery on his neck and back and will be out of action for an anticipated two months. At Dover Downs Piece has driven 90 winners since opening day, good for sixth place in the standings, two win behind fifth-place holder, Ross Wolfenden.
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Popular driver Trace Tetrick is now Indiana bound, back to Hoosier Park where he is the leading driver. This has been his second season at Dover Downs and returning in the Spring to Indiana. During the 2014-15 meet, he drove 80 winners.
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Add to the end-of-the-season driver roster, Tim Tetrick, a former Dover Downs champion and a seven-time leading money winning driver in the sport. Tim Tetrick will be driving on Wednesdays and Thursdays during the mid-week.
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Trainer Jeanmarie Kurowski likes to keep busy. After rising to feed and train her two horses which include Osceola Gold, a 10-year-old pacer who already has won his last two starts. The pacer has won 10 races under her care. In addition, she teaches school in the morning and later in the day works as a server at Dover Downs. By the way, she also takes care of her two young grandchildren.
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Joyeux Dream, a dominant $20,000 claimer, is the winningest horses at the track this meet with seven wins, one more than tough Open winner Tough Mac with six. Ragazzo Dolce had a four-win streak end on Wednesday (3/11). Delaware Hanover heads the pacing division with five straight.
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Spin Vision, a Delaware-sired homebred, made it four straight trips to the winner's circle in the $14,500 3,4&5 Year-Old Mares Winners-Over Monday, March 2. Bred, owned and trained by Virginia Leigh Louthan, Spin Vision, only a three-year-old, set her race record, 1:53,.4 in the day's feature. The filly returns on Monday in a female feature race.
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The battle for first place in winning drives continues. Through Thursday (3/12), Aaron Merriman leads all drivers in the sport in 2015 with 165 wins three more than Corey Callahan, Defending champion Ronnie Wrenn Jr. is third with 157 wins. Ron Burke, is again, the leading trainer, in wins and money won. Dylan Davis have moved up to fourth among the top 5 trainers in North America.
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Corey Callahan has up his win total to 235 winning drives this meet, which began Nov. 2, 214. Allan Davis is runner-up with 126. Vic Kirby is now in third-place with 105 winners. Ross Wolfenden is fourth, with 92 wins. Ron Pierce, is fifth with 91.
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Callahan has the highest UDRS batting at .414.Ron Pierce is second at .400. Vic Kirby is third at .283, Ross Wolfenden, fourth, .269. Allan Davis and Ben Stafford Jr. are tied for fith place in the standings with a .264 rating.
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Dylan Davis, last season's Leading Trainer, is making a late meet surge and with four training wins on Thursday (3/12) has forged into first place with 52 wins. Doug Lewis is now second with 50 winners. Wayne Givens, who has started the most horses this meet,.232 and has won 47 races. Jim King is in fourth place among trainers with 46 victories. Nick Surick completes the top 5 with 37 wins.
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In trainer statistics, Amanda Payson has the highest 'batting average.' She has started 36 horses this meet with 15 winners for a tremendous .515 percentage. Eric Ell is next with a .439 UTRS winning 31 races form 110 starts. Vic Kirby has haltered 15 wins from 57 starters, good for a .419 rating, Dylan Davis is the only other conditioned over .400. He has won 48 races, the most so far, in 178 starts for a .410 percentage.
Marv Bachrad