Yonkers invader Hill Of A Horse made short work of a good field in Thursday's (April 8) $14,400 featured trot at Harrah’s Philadelphia, moving to the lead in front of the grandstand and then stepping home in :56 to stop the timer in 1:55.2.
With the field reduced to five due to the scratch of the fast mare Refined, the headliner saw Armagedon Seelster reach the top from his outside starting slot, with Hill Of A Horse and driver Marcus Miller briefly settling behind that one to the :28.2 quarter before brushing to command and stealing a soft :59.2 half. From there, with the Muscle Hill gelding hit three-quarters in 1:27.4 and powered home in :27.3 to put 4-1/4 lengths of clearance on Armagedon Seelster, who held second over Bluebird Jesse.
Hill Of A Horse, whom Erv Miller trains for Andray Farms, surpassed the quarter-million-dollar career earnings plateau with the triumph.
In the $12,800 co-feature for developing trotters, the photo finish camera could not separate pacesetting favourite Manatlas (Mark MacDonald) and gritty first-over mare Heat Wave Hanover (Joe Bongiorno), who tied for the 1:55 victory. Manatlas, an E L Titan gelding, had last been second to Hambletonian winner Forbidden Trade in the 2019 Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final before a comeback victory at Dover last week.
Friday’s (April 9) action at Harrah’s Philly starts at 12:25 p.m.; program pages will be available at the PHHA website.
(PHHA/Harrah's Philadelphia)