The Bettors Delight mare Gold Orchid N had to work until the three-eighths before getting the lead from the outside post eight, but she stayed strong on the lead and posted a 1:53 victory in the $18,000 featured pace on a chilly Friday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
Gold Orchid N had a host of leavers inside her but remained fixed on controlling the pace, being limbed well past the :27.2 opener before making the top and getting a bit of a breather to the 1:24.2 three-quarters. No one could get near the front-stepping mare in the lane as she finished 2-3/4 lengths ahead of pocket-sitting Clarebear.
Dexter Dunn engineered the winning trip behind Gold Orchid N for trainer Mark Harder and owner Bamq LLC. A winner of $226,285, including six figures both last year and this, Gold Orchid N posted her third win in her last five starts.
There were a pair of $16,000 features, one for pacing distaffs on the “Filly And Mare Friday” Philly card, and one for trotters. In the pace for females, Midwest shipper Passionate Deo impressed in her return to Pennsylvania, making a quarter-move for driver George Napolitano Jr. and going on to an easy victory in 1:54.4. The Captaintreacherous sophomore has been no worse than third in three months, with three victories in that period. Dan Maier is handling the local care of the winner for owner Ameer Najor.
In the trot co-feature, Always A Dream made a pace-controlling move in front of the grandstand and was able to retain the lead to the wire in 1:57.1. An altered son of Swan For All, Always A Dream warded off a strong rally by SVF Cash Deposit to finish a half-length to the good for driver Tim Tetrick, trainer Scott Di Domenico, and the partnership of Foulk Stables Inc. and Triple D Stables Inc. Tetrick led the day’s driving ranks with four wins.
(PHHA / Harrah's Philadelphia)