Mike Franks won in 1:57.4 Tuesday at Bally’s Dover. Photo: Quenton Egan Photography
DOVER — Michial and Linda English’s homebred Mike Franks maintained his winning ways in the first round of the Delaware Standardbred Breeders’ Fund (DSBF) series for 2-year-old male trotters at Bally’s Dover, rolling to his fifth consecutive score in the third of three $20,000 splits on Tuesday, Nov. 10.
With Ross Wolfenden at the lines for trainer John Wilkerson, 1-20 favorite Mike Franks forged clear of 9-1 second choice Amish Outlaw (driven by Eddie Dennis) through a :28.1 first quarter before backing down the tempo through middle splits of :59 and 1:28.2. Turning for home, the Southwind Frank-Hearditinaluvsong gelding extended his lead to 2 lengths and coasted to a 1:57.4 victory. Amish Outlaw narrowly protected second from Frosty Frank (Allan Davis), who mounted a belated bid up the open stretch.
Mike Franks, who in October swept the DSBF series at Harrington Raceway, extended his career record to six wins from nine starts and lifted his bankroll to $121,225. He paid $2.10 to win.
In the first division, Platinum Ice ($4.80) and driver Troy Beyer launched a first-over push out of third up the backstretch and powered to a 3-1/4-length, 1:58.1 lifetime-best win over 4-5 favorite Lebanon Levii (Eddie Dennis). Besim Odza trains the E L Platinum-Cool Cates gelding, who now has won two of six starts and earned $36,800, for owner/breeder Sonja Booth.
The second section saw Blazing Tui ($2.40) and driver Corey Callahan draft in the pocket behind Youcancallmeroy (Roger Plante Jr.) before angling off the pegs above the eighth pole and coasting to a measured 2-length, 1:59.3 win. Trainer David Wiest co-owns and bred the Yankee Royalty-Tui gelding, now a five-time winner from six starts, in partnership with Donald Wiest.