| Dover Downs offers live harness racing from late | | | | and sulky between the rest of the field. It takes a lot of |
| October to mid-April in the state of Delaware. Built in | | | | skill. |
| 1969 to support both harness racing and automotive | | | | The first year the Progress Pace was held, the winner |
| racing, Dover Downs is a big destination in the city of | | | | was Armbro Operative, a colt that is currently standing |
| Dover. This track is the only one in the country to run a | | | | at stud in New Zealand. He was driven by Hall of |
| six month season with racing held six days a week. | | | | Fame driver, John Campbell. 1997's winner was Dream |
| There are 15 races held each day. | | | | Away, again driven by John Campbell. Browning Blue |
| Dover Downs is home to many stakes races during | | | | Chip won the final purse in 1998. |
| the season, but it is becoming best known for the | | | | 1999 saw the first gelding win the Progress Pace; |
| Progress Pace, which has become one of the top | | | | Royalflush Hanover, driven by Luc Ouellette. He |
| events in harness racing. The Progress Pace is a | | | | passed Grinfromeartoear on the backstretch and |
| relative newcomer as a harness race. It was begun in | | | | never looked back. Luc Ouellette piloted 2000's winner |
| 1996, and it now attracts the top sophomore colts in | | | | to victory as well, a colt named Powerful Toy. |
| pacing. In 2007, there were 102 nominees for the | | | | Peruvian Hanover, driven by Ron Pierce, took the |
| Progress Pace. Since the race's inception, the purse | | | | honors in 2001. |
| has risen from $200,000 to over $400,000. | | | | In 2002, Art Major won his final elimination heat, and |
| Depending on how many horses are entered, there will | | | | went on to beat his stablemate, McArdle in the final. |
| be more or fewer elimination heats. The winners of | | | | Art Major was driven expertly by John Campbell. |
| these heats will compete against each other in a final | | | | Radar Sign won under the capable hands of Luc |
| field of 8 horses. The eliminations will be held the week | | | | Ouellette in 2003, crossing the finish line in only 1:52.4. In |
| before the final race, giving spectators two days to | | | | 2004, a longshot won the Progress Pace. Holborn |
| pick their favorites. A lot more local horses are now | | | | Hanover, only the second gelding to win this race, not |
| competing in the Progress, and the competition is | | | | only beat the odds, he set a new record for the event, |
| getting stiff. The best of the best are coming together | | | | pacing the course in 1:49.4. |
| at Dover Downs every year to compete in this race. | | | | Gryffindor, the third gelding to hold court in this |
| If you've never seen a pace, you don't know what you | | | | prestigious race, won in 2005, driven by David Miller. |
| are missing. The drivers sit behind the horse in a sulky, | | | | 2006's winner was a local horse. Total Truth, driven by |
| which is also called a bike. Pacers are faster than | | | | Ron Pierce, fought off the competition to win a very |
| trotters, and they move both legs on the same side of | | | | exciting final. Ghee's House claimed the $350,900 |
| their body in the same direction at the same time. It is | | | | winner's purse in 2007. He was driven by Brian Sears. |
| amazing to watch the drivers maneuver their horse | | | | |