Nutcracker Sweet snapped a two-year winless streak in the pacing division of the $16,000 tri-features Wednesday afternoon (Oct. 30) at Harrah’s Philadelphia.

The four-year-old son of Bettors Delight showed good speed to make the lead before the :26.4 quarter, and then was used further to keep Major March outside most of the way to a :55.3 half. Cecil Casanova challenged uncovered before the 1:23 three-quarters, but in the stretch, driver Andrew McCarthy was able to find room with Nutcraker Sweet up the inside to win by three-quarters of a length in 1:52.

A full brother to $2.7 million winner Bettor Sweet and a half brother to $3.4 miillion winner and top sire Sweet Lou, Nutcracker Sweet danced almost all the major dances at both two and three, though he hadn’t won since Lexington of his freshman campaign. Today’s victory boosted his lifetime earnings to $404,294, with but five wins, for trainer Tom Cancelliere and owner John Cancelliere.

In the first of the trotting features, Yannick Gingras was able to work out a pocket trip with the Donato Hanover sophomore gelding Crossfit, then came clear in the stretch to catch pacesetting filly Queen Of Trixs by 1-1/2 lengths and reduce his mark to 1:54.2. Ron Burke conditions the winner for owner Joe Sbrocco.

The other trot saw Take A Wish make an early move to the lead for driver Steve Smith, then withstand a long grind by SVF Cash Deposit by a neck in 1:55.4. The four-year-old daughter of Wishing Stone is owned by driver Smith, trainer Dawn Anderson, and Mark Schulstrom.

(PHHA/Harrah's Philadelphia)