On a day that proved not very kind to betting favourites, the Walner sophomore filly Wallandar was on her “A” game to take the $12,600 trotting feature at Harrah’s Philadelphia in a new mark of 1:56.3 while paying $50.40 to her scattered win backers.

Andy Miller got the filly who was $250,000 yearling away cleanly and to the top by a :28.4 quarter, then yielded to odds-on favourite Candy Bomber and sat behind the one through middle fractions of :58.2 and 1:27.3. Miller showed Wallandar racetrack nearing headstretch and the three-year-old came home in perfect order to defeat the chalk by a half-length for trainer Julie Miller and the partnership of Andy Miller Stable Inc. and Little E LLC. 

The “Illinois Millers” may have won the feature, but it was the “Ohio Miller,” David Miller, who led all drivers with three winners today.

Harrah’s next goes to the gate on Thursday (July 27) at 12:25 p.m., with a $3,664.38 carryover in the Pick-4 wager starting in the very first race.

The cards on Friday (July 28, 12:25 p.m.) and Sunday (July 30, 12:40 p.m.) both feature sterling $20,000 Open Handicap events. Ruthless Hanover, the world’s fastest Standardbred on a five-eighths-mile track with a 1:46.3 victory in the Joe Auger Pace here on Super Sunday on May 28, will start from the outside in a field of six pacers Friday. On Sunday, the outside post six has been assigned to the winner of the 2022 Maxie Lee Trot, Lovedbythemasses.

Program pages for all races at Harrah’s Philadelphia will be available on the PHHA website.     

(PHHA / Harrah’s Philadelphia)