Dover Downs presented its fans with a special Sunday program which showcased many of the sport’s brightest pacing and trotting stars in a trio of Matron Stakes finals and the final of the Progress Pace.

Here’s a complete recap of those rich events:

$193,088 Matron Stakes for three-year-old trotting fillies

Costa Rica rallied into a slowing pace and picked up one of her richest victories of the season for the dynamic duo of driver Ron Pierce and trainer Jimmy Takter. Pierce mapped out a ground-saving trip for the daughter of Muscles Yankee-Examination, and once she found room she had no problem getting the job done.

Race favourite Behindclosedoors (Dave Palone) led the field through panels of :26.4 and :56.1 before coming under mild pressure from Action Broadway (Dave Miller). Behindclosedoors turned aside that challenge and rolled past the three-quarter pole in 1:24.4 before feeling top-of-the-stretch heat from a rallying Costa Rica. Pierce, who angled behind cover going into the final turn, fed his filly racetrack and she kicked home to win in going away fashion over Behindclosedoors in 1:55.1. Christiana Hanover (Riina Rekila) overcame traffic troubles to finish third.

Christina Takter of East Windsor, NJ shares ownership on the 16-time winner with John and Jim Fielding of Toronto, ON. The victory was the filly’s sixth of the season in 17 trips to the track, and the lion’s share of the purse bumped her overall bankroll to $1,404,244.

$320,000 Progress Pace for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings

Rockin Image successfully wired up sophomore foes for the second week-in-a-row at Dover Downs, but this week’s payday was far greater than the money he earned in last week’s $35,000 Progress Pace elimination.

With Yannick Gingras behind the speedy Jimmy Takter-trained son of Rocknroll Hanover-Kikikatie, Rockin Image parked past the quarter pole in a :27-second clip before touching down on the lead and laying down middle splits of :55.2 and 1:22.1 en route to the 1:50.3 decision. A distant second was Delmarvalous (Brian Sears), with third prize going to Windfall Blue Chip (Montrell Teague).

The victory was sixth of the season for Rockin Image, who is owned by Susan Grange’s Lothlorien of Cheltenham, ON. The colt’s $160,000 payday helped his lifetime earnings soar to $874,016.

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