George & Tina Dennis Racing's homebred Won Last Call gave Primo Maschio his first taste of defeat in nine career starts by posting a 26-1 upset in the second of two $20,000 first round Delaware Standardbred Breeders' Fund (DSBF) preliminary events for 2-year-old male pacers held Thursday (Nov. 7) at Bally's Dover.
After breaking stride amid an early leave attempt, Won Last Call and driver Montrell Teague reset quickly enough to salvage a three-hole ride behind the previously-undefeated Primo Maschio (driven by Trae Porter) and Lew Not Lou (Tim Tetrick). Primo Maschio, who hadn't raced since his 1:54 1/5 win in the Harrington DSBF series championship on Oct. 7, rated fractions of 29, 58 3/5 and 1:27 3/5 before Won Last Call mounted a first-over challenge on the far turn.
Won Last Call turned up the heat off the corner for home, reeled in Primo Maschio with 40 yards to go, and won by a widening neck in a lifetime best 1:55 4/5. Primo Maschio finished second; Lew Not Lou was third, beaten 3 1/4 lengths.
Joe Columbo trains Won Last Call, a Badlands Hanover-I'm Won Shot Wiser gelding with three wins from six career starts. He paid $54.40 to win.
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Harrington series runner-up Shore Not Beach took the first DSBF division in 1:57 2/5, holding steadfast in a protracted duel with Wyatt Earp to win by a measured 1 1/4 lengths.
Pat Berry sent Shore Not Beach to an easy lead from post four, and the pair rated soft early fractions of 30 and 1:00 2/5 before Wyatt Earp (Justin Irvine) began his first-over ascent from fourth and pressed into a narrow lead with five-sixteenths to go. The pair dueled through a 28 4/5 third quarter, and Shore Not Beach asserted to reclaim the lead just above the eighth pole before widening his advantage while under wraps. Badlands Boogie (Russell Foster) finished third, 6 1/2 lengths in arrears.
Trainer Traci Berry's TLB Racing LLC. owns Shore Not Beach, a Badlands Hanover-Azure Deo gelding bred by Odds On Nourrir with two wins from four career starts.
First round DSBF competition continues Monday (Nov. 11) with a pair of $20,000 divisions for 2-year-old trotting fillies programmed at the beginning of a 15-race card at Bally's Dover. First post is 4:30 p.m. (EST).
--press release (DSBF)--