DSBF Final: Watch Em Win wraps up series sweep

Watch Em Win won a $110,000 DSBF Final in a stakes record-tying 1:51.2 on Thursday at Bally’s Dover.

DOVER — Watch Em Win made every call a winning one in the $110,000 final of the Delaware Standardbred Breeders’ Fund series for 2-year-old colts and geldings at Bally’s Dover, asserting his dominance up the backstretch en route to a career-best and stakes record-tying 1:51.2 score on Thursday, Nov. 20.

In line to Tim Tetrick for trainer Ron Burke, Watch Em Win yielded briefly to C Millertimeagain (driven by Corey Callahan) upon entering the first turn before brushing to control through a :26.3 opening quarter. Once clear, Watch Em Win backed the half down to :56 before sprinting clear of his seven rivals up the backstretch through a :27 third split. The He’s Watching-Winners Over colt had built up a four-length lead on C Millertimeagain off the corner for home before Tetrick took him in hand with 70 yards to go and measured his margin of victory to 1-1/4 lengths. Slugger On Deck (Allan Davis) finished third after stalking the top pair throughout the entire mile.

Watch Em Win, who paid $2.10 to win as the 1-20 favorite, has won eight of 12 races and earned $185,558 for Burke Racing Stable, Knox Services, Phil Collura and Weaver Bruscemi. His 1:51.2 win time tied the DSBF stakes record for rookie male pacers set in 2016 by Bags To Riches.

The $20,000 DSBF consolation saw Iheartmum and driver Art Stafford Jr. forge clear of K D’s Song (Montrell Teague) at the end of a :27.1 first quarter before steadily drawing clear late to stop the timer in 1:54 and win by 3-3/4 lengths for owner/trainer/breeder Janet Davis. The Badlands Hanover-Iheartquestionmark gelding paid $3.40 to win as the 3-5 favorite.

Rookie trotting fillies will contest their DSBF series championship on Monday, Nov. 24, with the $110,000 Marv Bachrad slated as the eighth race on a 15-race program at Bally’s Dover. First post is 4:30 p.m.