The track record sheet at Harrah’s Philadelphia got a very-early-in-the-season alteration on Thursday, April 25 afternoon, as the four-year-old Sebastian K S trotting gelding Benjamin Hanover won powerfully in 1:51.2, knocking three-fifths of a second from the local divisional standard held by Scirocco Rob since 2019. 

Off a 1:52.3 impressive local bow for U.S. Hall of Famer Joe Holloway, Benjamin Hanover was elevated to the track’s $17,808 top trot and showed he could handle those horses with aplomb. Retaking the lead from Outside The Fire after a :27.3 opener for Holloway’s fellow U.S. Hall Of Famer David Miller, the talented gelding then went on to middle fractions of :55.2 and 1:22.4. Benjamin Hanover opened up a 2-1/2-length lead on his pocketed rival through the far turn, then coasted home by 1-3/4 lengths while never threatened. Now a winner of 10 of 16 lifetime starts, Benjamin Hanover looks like a horse headed for better things for owners Sarah Andrews, Angela Cornell, and Jarod Miller.

The supporting features, one on each gait, were raced for $16,438. The pacing group at this level was mastered by the Sweet Lou sophomore gelding Women Layer, undefeated after two starts in 2024. After he and favoured Twin B Seamonster argued through fractions of :27, :54.1 and 1:22.2, Women Layer was able to put up a neck on the money while lowering his mark to 1:51.3. Jack Pelling drove the developing sidewheeler for his father, traine Brett Pelling, and the ownership of Howard and Judith Taylor, Order By Stable AB and Jerry Silva.

The winner of this class’s trotting bracket paid a local season’s high $137 to win, and came from the most unlikely of sources – driver Tim Tetrick, another U.S. Hall Of Famer and the three-time defending Philly dash champion who had never piloted a $100 winner here since records were begun in 2016. “Timmy T” got the call from owner/trainer Jim Shupe behind the E L Titan gelding Heza Scoundrel, saved ground throughout the mile, then dashed up the inside to equal his lifetime best of 1:57.3. Tetrick notched three winners on the day, putting him one behind Todd McCarthy, 15-14, through six days of racing as he looks to add a fourth consecutive championship here. 

Racing continues at the southeast Pennsylvania oval this Friday, April 26 at 12:25 p.m. and Sunday, April 27 at 12:40 p.m., with features for both up-and-coming and seasoned fast-class pacers – distaffs on Friday and then males on Sunday. There will be carryovers into two Friday races: a Superfecta carryover into race one and a Pick-5 carryover into race five.

Next week there will be a variation in the basic schedule due to a Thoroughbred event to be held in Kentucky, as Philly will not race on Thursday, May 2, then go on Friday, May 3 at 12:25 p.m., Saturday (Derby Day) at noon and then Sunday, May 4 at 12:40 p.m.

(PHHA / Harrah's Philadelphia)