A pair of $15,300 trotting events topped the card on a 40-degree Thursday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia.

The faster section saw the two favourites, both foreign-bred mares, battling to the line, with the Ready Cash mare Beautifulcolibri IT making it two straight on the local scene while reducing her mile mark to 1:54. Andrew McCarthy sent the winner of $182,771 to the early lead, forcing Goo Doo Doll to tuck well before a :28.1 opener, and when Ghostintheshell S attempted a quarter-move, the Italian-bred went on enough on the lead to force that opponent to take the two-hole on the way to the :57.1 half.

Bluebird Rocky offered a bid to the 1:25.3 three-quarters; when that one could no longer sustain, Ghostintheshell S again materialized out of the pocket, but Beautifulcolibri IT, trained and owned by Nancy Takter, still had a :28.2 quarter in her to fend off her foe by a neck, and looks on her way to better things.

(In the following race, another Nancy Takter trainee, the Muscle Hill – Viva Las Lindy freshman colt Nomophobia, remained undefeated after three starts while winning in 1:58.1 for driver Yannick Gingras and owners Christina Takter and John Fielding.)

The other feature division was taken by the Muscle Hill gelding Vinny De Vie in a lifetime best of 1:55.3 in the cool weather. Marcus Miller, top driver on the day with three victories, made two early moves to control the pace, and the Tom Fanning trainee stayed strong to the wire, turning back the first-over Boom Boom Bay by 1-1/4 lengths for owner Joseph Smith.

(PHHA / Harrah’s Philadelphia)