Chris Beaver will send out the morning line favourite in each of Wednesday’s three John Simpson Memorial Stakes for three-year-old female trotters at Harrah’s Philadelphia as he looks to push his training stable to a career high in earnings for the sixth consecutive season.

Beaver’s Simpson favourites are among a group of three-year-old trotting fillies, including Kentucky Filly Futurity hopeful Weslynn Quest, that has combined to earn in the neighbourhood of $1 million this season. Overall, Beaver’s stable has banked $2.64 million in 2019 and is less than $5,000 from surpassing last year’s total of $2.65 million.

“I have a fantastic group of three-year-old trotting fillies,” the Ohio-based Beaver said. “I ended up with about 10 (1:) 55 three-year-old trotting fillies this year and that’s really helped the season.”

Back Splash, who was one of six Ohio Sires Stakes three-year-old trotting filly finalists for Beaver as well as a Kentucky Sire Stakes finalist, is the 5-2 morning line favourite in the first $30,000 Simpson division at ‘Philly.’ She has won three of 13 races this year and earned $61,100. David Miller will drive the filly Wednesday.

“She’s a fast filly,” Beaver said. “She hasn’t gotten around the small tracks really [well] this year, but she did win in (a career-best) 1:54 at Scioto. I think if she gets out there and keeps rolling along and doesn’t get into a lot of traffic, she can be good.”

Pure Chance, who heads to the second Simpson division off of an Ohio Breeders Championship victory, has won six of 12 races and $167,492 this year. She is 2-1 and also will have Miller in the sulky.

“She’s been a really nice filly and she’s tough,” Beaver said. “I really like her. I think she could make a nice racehorse after she’s done with her stakes races.

“I had a full sister to her (Sesame) that’s made about $250,000 in Ohio, so they’ve been good ones for me. I like (Pure Chance) better, though. She races without hobbles and she’s very consistent. The only times she hasn’t raced really [well], she’s had a couple trips where she got roughed up, otherwise she’s always been finishing strong. She’s put in a good effort every time.”

Beaver has a second horse, Stone In Love, in the second Simpson division. Stone In Love, who will have George Napolitano Jr. as her driver, has won two of 16 races and $53,078 this season.

“She’s a nice filly, but she’s not quick off the gate so she always kind of gets in a bad spot,” Beaver said. “She’s usually finishing pretty good though.”

In the third division, Keystone Abbey is the 2-1 favourite. The filly has won five of 17 races this year, including the Currier & Ives Filly, and earned $101,870. Napolitano will drive Keystone Abbey.

“She’s been a little bit lucky this year,” Beaver said. “She was good that day (in the Currier & Ives Filly), but the favourite ran coming down the lane. She won some races and didn’t have to go very fast to win them. She did reel off four wins in a row earlier this year, so things have worked out pretty well for her for the type of horse she is.”

In addition to his Simpson Memorial Stakes group, Beaver hopes to have two Indiana Sires Stakes three-year-old trotting filly finalists in recent Buckette Stakes winner Sophia Lia and Morairtime. Those two fillies compete in the final preliminary round of the ISS on Wednesday night at Harrah’s Hoosier Park.

On Sunday, Beaver expects to have Weslynn Quest in the Kentucky Filly Futurity at Lexington’s Red Mile. She finished second to Only Take Cash in the Ohio Sires Stakes final and missed by a nose to stablemate Pure Chance in the OBC.

“She’s a very fast filly,” Beaver said. “I had trouble with her being too hot and making breaks early in the season. I got her straightened out toward the end of the sire stakes season and she set a track record (1:53.3) at Scioto. She has a sister (Weslynn Dancer) that’s turned into a good aged horse and she’s eligible to a lot of the big races late in the season.

“We’ll have to see how she goes stretched all the way out against real good fillies, but I think the pedigree is there and the high speed. She’s never had to trot in (1:) 50 before, so we’ll see what happens.”

Wednesday’s card at Harrah’s Philadelphia also includes three divisions of the Simpson Memorial for three-year-old pacing fillies. Rockn Philly, So Awesome, and Trillions Hanover are the morning line favourites.

Racing will begin at 12:25 p.m. (EDT).

(USTA)