Git Goin sweeps DSBF prelims; favorites upended

Git Goin, driven by Vince Copeland, won in 1:54.4 Wednesday at Bally's Dover

DOVER - Git Goin became the only 3-year-old pacing filly to sweep her Delaware Standardbred Breeders' Fund (DSBF) preliminaries at Bally's Dover with a 1:54.4 win in the second of three $20,000 second-round divisions contested Wednesday, Dec. 10.

With owner/trainer Vince Copeland at the lines, Git Goin floated into a four-hole tuck directly behind 1-10 favorite and fellow first-round winner Bella Artiste (driven by Jim Morand) as Proper Lady (Cody Poliseno) sprinted through early fractions of :26.2 and :55.4. Up the backstretch, Copeland angled Git Goin into a second-over tow behind Bella Artiste, who offered steady pressure to Proper Lady past three-quarters in 1:24.3 and through the far turn. Turning for home, Git Goin switched three-wide, and the Badlands Hanover-Goin Again filly rallied into the lead with 100 yards to go, besting Bella Artiste by a half length. Mornin Merle (Tim Tetrick) made mild late gains to finish third.

Git Goin, who did not race as a 2-year-old, has won five of 21 starts and banked $51,932 in career earnings. She paid $11.40 as the 9-2 second choice.

Another odds-on favorite was upended in the first division, as Mad Anne (Jason Thompson) rode the pocket through fractions of :27.2, :57.2 and 1:26.2 before lifting late to a three-quarter-length, 1:55.3 victory over 1-20 public choice Little Miss Peyton (Corey Callahan). Cake Pop (Poliseno) finished third.

Mad Anne, a Badlands Hanover-DVC Kolor Me Crazy filly who paid $14.20 to win, has won five of 25 races and earned $36,415 while competing as a homebred for owner/trainer Elizabeth Shockley.

In the third section, Seboomook Ohh Lala passed all seven of her rivals en route to a 27-1 upset over 6-5 favorite and first-round winner Bobby's Grace.

Ross Wolfenden angled the Papa Ray-Seboomook Fool Yah filly third-over with five-sixteenths to go, and the pair circled three-wide off the far turn to nab the first-over Bobby's Grace (Russell Foster) by a neck in a lifetime best 1:55.1. Valentina Station (Eddie Dennis) split rivals to save third from a failing pocket.

Garnet O'Marrow trains Seboomook Ohh Lala, now a four-time winner from 30 starts with $56,052 in earnings, and his O'Marrow's Stock Farm owns and bred the filly. She paid $57.20 to win.

The five preliminary winners - Git Goin, Bella Artiste, Bobby's Grace, Mad Anne and Seboomook Ohh Lala - all have qualified for the $110,000 DSBF series championship, to be held at Bally's Dover next Wednesday, Dec. 17, as have Little Miss Peyton, Valentina Station and Mimosa On The Key.

DSBF preliminary action concludes Thursday, Dec. 11, with two $20,000 second-round events for 3-year-old male pacers at Bally's Dover. The first will take place as a non-wagering event at 4:10 p.m., and the second kicks off a 13-race pari-mutuel card at 4:30 p.m.