For the second straight week, Scirocco Rob had to try to overcome the rough “tuck-then-first-over” trip in the $22,500 handicap trotting feature at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Thursday afternoon, and for the second straight week, he got the job done despite the grueling journey, stopping the timer in 1:54.1.

David Miller got the winning Explosive Matter gelding away fourth as Yanks Dugout and Swingforthefences argued through a blazing :26.4 opener before assuming those spots in that order. Yanks Dugout got a rest to the half in :57.1, and it was Yanks Dugout who was in the sights of the grinding Scirocco Rob through and past a 1:25 three-quarters. The winner of $669,896 out-trotted the very game pacesetter to win by three-quarters of a length for trainer Mark Silva and owner Kathleen Whitaker while taking his third success in his last four outings.

In the $15,300 co-featured trot for up-and-coming horses, Infinity Stone bottomed his field out with hot fractions of :27, :55.1 and 1:23.1, keeping rolling to the wire in control of the opposition in 1:53.1.The Il Sogno Dream gelding has now won five of his last six starts for trainer Per Engblom and driver Yannick Gingras, the latter co-owner with Frank Canzone.

Greg Peck, always to be linked with the great racehorse and sire Muscle Hill, scored his first driving victory since August 1, 2019 on the card. The winning horse was, appropriately, a son of Muscle Hill. The three-year-old colt Highgate stepped home in :28.1 to take a mark of 1:58.1 for Peck, who is also his trainer and owner and who drives only on rare occasion these days.

A pair of Hall of Famers dominated the day’s driving action: the track’s leading driver, Tim Tetrick, had five wins, while David Miller, fourth in the Philly standings, visited Victory Lane four times.

The remainder of the racing week at Harrah’s Philadelphia consists of a Friday card starting at 12:25 p.m. and a Sunday program beginning at 12:40 p.m.. Program pages are or will be available on the PHHA website.

(PHHA/Harrah's Philadelphia)