Harrington lineup full of DSBF stakes elims

HARRINGTON, DE – The first leg of Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund (DSBF) stakes action for 3-year-olds will headline the week (June 13-15) of harness racing at Harrington Raceway.

There will be two $20,000 legs, with the top 8 point earners returning for $100,000 final events on July 28, on the annual Governor’s Day program during the Delaware State Fair. Pacing colts and geldings kick off the week with 3 divisions, headed by Kdk Standardbreds’ Heinikin Bythebay (Southwind Lynx, 7/5, Tim Tetrick), who banked $109,925 as a freshman and won the spring series late closing final at Bally’s Dover. The gelding is trained by co-owner Kevin Switzer. Two DSBF divisions make up the early pick 5 Monday (races 2-6), while the third division will start the pick four (races 10-13).

Two top contenders that drew away from “Heinikin,” both by Badlands Hanover, were Nanticoke Racing and Donna Messick’s Ds Heartland (7/5, Art Stafford Jr.) and John Dixon’s Johnny Badlands (9/5, Corey Callahan), who will square off in the 1^st division, race 2 on the 13-race card. Both contenders and have multiple wins over the track already this season. Freshman DSBF champ It’s Above Me Now (Southwind Lynx, 7/5, Montrell Teague) is the favorite in the middle division, the 4^th race, for owners George Teague and K&R Racing. The gelding is conditioned by Clyde Francis and won the Harrington DSBF final last season.

Pacing fillies will battle in two divisions Tuesday, as Odds On Racing’s Odds On Surfer Gal (Badlands Hanover, 7/5, Corey Callahan), Let It Ride Stables’ Shabby Chic (Badlands Hanover, 7/5, Tim Tetrick) are among the top contenders. Odds On Surfer Gal arrived late on the scene as a 2-year-old and was an upset winner in the $100,000 final at Bally’s Dover for trainer Tony Alagna. The filly drew post 2 in the first split, featured 2^nd on the program. Meanwhile Shabby Chic (7/5, Tetrick) heads the 2^nd division, the card’s 4^th race for trainer Mike Hall after a $99,000 season as a 2-year-old. Both divisions are in the pick 5 Tuesday (races 2-6).

Trotters will take center stage Wednesday with two divisions apiece for males and females. All four divisions are in the pick 5 (races 2-6) with filly trotters starting the sequence in races 2 and 3, and male trotters in races 4 and 5. Meanwhile, a $20,000 Open trot will complete the pick 5 sequence in race 6. John Wagner-trained Shes All Woman (Anders Bluestone, Tetrick) is the likely favorite from the rail in the 1^st division. The filly has won 6-of-11 lifetime and has the highest career earnings of any of the DSBF trotters in action Wednesday with $126,138 for owner Pam Wagner. Stafford Jr and Art Stafford’s Just Pump It (CR Commando) heads the remaining filly division and was a DSBF final winner at Harrington last season. The filly drew post four.

The likely scourges of the male trotters drew into separate divisions, as Navy Blue (Anders Bluestone, Stafford Jr.), owned by Stafford Jr., and Wyatt Starkey drew post four in the 4^th race fresh off an impressive 1:58.2 win over the track on June 1. Meanwhile, Harrington 2-year-old track record holder LG’s Reed O Wen (Anders Bluestone, Jim Morand), will start from post five in the 5^th race for trainer Les Givens and Nanticoke Racing looking to reclaim DSBF champ status at 3. Morning line odds for Wednesday were unavailable at the time of this release.

The second leg of DSBF stakes action will be June 20-22.

Post time nightly is 4:30 p.m.

For complete Monday race entries, click here.

For complete Tuesday race entries, click here.

For complete Wednesday race entries, click here.

by Matt Sparacino, for Harrington Raceway