'Thiskiss' unstoppable in DSBF prelim

Thiskissformaryell, with Jim Morand driving, scored a victory in 2:01 as the 4-5 favorite on Tuesday, Nov. 11

DOVER, Del. - After sweeping his Delaware Standardbred Breeders' Fund (DSBF) competition at Harrington Raceway in October, Thiskissformaryell proved dominant in the second of two $20,000 first-round divisions of the DSBF series for 2-year-old male trotters on Tuesday, Nov. 11, at Bally's Dover.

In line to Jim Morand, Thiskissformaryell sprinted to the lead from post 7 with Prime Yield (driven by Art Stafford Jr.) securing the pocket through early splits of :29.2 and 1:00. The Iron Mine Bucky-Twin B Kisses gelding drew clear steadily up the backstretch, extending his lead over a faltering Prime Yield to five lengths at three-quarters in 1:30.1 and completing the mile in 2:01 while under wraps. Pappy's Deal (Allan Davis) sustained an extended rally for second, 5-1/4 lengths in arrears; Swee'pea (Corey Callahan) finished third.

Les Givens trains five-time winner Thiskissformaryell, who paid $3.80 to win as the 4-5 favorite, for Nanticoke Racing, James Magno and Joseph Fonte.

The first division saw Topflight Champion and trainer/driver Eddie Dennis recover from an early break with a sixth-to-first brush up the backstretch en route to a 9-1/2-length, 2:02.1 win over Wings Of Steel (Russell Foster) and Sunny Blue Rock (Troy Beyer). The Top Flight Angel-JS Foxy Lady colt, who paid $3.80 to win, is now a two-time winner for E & K Stable and Robert Nibblett Jr.

The second preliminary round of the Dover DSBF series for 2-year-old male trotters will take place next Tuesday, Nov. 18; the top eight point earners from both preliminary rounds will meet in a $110,000 final on Nov. 25.