Trainer Joe Columbo, the runaway leader in the training standings at the current Harrington Raceway meeting, shipped a truckload of sharp horses to Harrah’s Philadelphia on a special Derby Day card of racing on Saturday, May 4 and won with four of them, all four at least co-owned by his principal patrons George & Tina Dennis Racing, and all four handled by different drivers.
The Dennises are the sole owners of the $470,725 earner Blue Cupertino, who pulled a $49.60 upset in the featured $18,493 trot. Jack Pelling reserved the son of Kadabra off a contested pace over a “good” surface, rallied him three- and then two-wide on the far turn, then withstood 45-1 shot Dark Mind in 1:56.2, finishing 1-1/2 lengths ahead of that rival.
In a $16,438 co-feature for distaff pacers, the Always B Miki mare Paige Perfect was forced to travel the difficult tuck-then-first-over journey, but she took the lead in early stretch and got the better of Schnapps by a neck while winning in 1:52.4, just a tick off her lifetime mark. Johnathan Ahle had the driving assignment behind the winner, now with four victories in five seasonal starts, for trainer Bruce Saunders and owner Julie Nash.
In a $15,753 claiming handicap pace, Record Year also won his fourth race in his last five trips behind the gate, also via the tuck-then-rally route, in 1:50.4, a new mark in the race before the track was downgraded. The Shadow Play gelding, a winner of $339,672, held off the rail-shooting Last Bet by 1-3/4 lengths for owner/trainer Dean Eckley and driver George Napolitano Jr. — tops on the day with three sulky successes. Both of the first two finishers were claimed out of the race, Record Year for $30,137 and Last Bet for $27,397.
The racing week ends on Sunday, May 5 at Philly with a 12:40 p.m. start. Featured is a $17,808 fast-class pace, with Semi Tough made the 5-2 early favourite in a very competitive grouping. Free programs for Harrah’s Philadelphia racing will be available at phha.org.
(PHHA / Harrah's Philadelphia)