Both Knockout Round and Sugar Man lowered their lifetime speed records by more than two seconds in capturing their respective $60,000-plus divisions of the Liberty Bell Stakes for two-year-old pacing males on Friday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia.

Knockout Round, an altered son of Sweet Lou-Cant Stop Me Now, turned in the quicker clocking, 1:50.4. Andrew McCarthy sent the rookie up uncovered early in the backstretch and the fast freshman blitzed his last half in :54 flat to overhaul pacesetting favourite Dreamboat Hanover by three-quarters of a length. Tony Alagna trains the speedy youngster for the ownership of Micki Rae Stables and Tim Twaddle.

Also impressive in victory was the Papi Rob Hanover-Sweet As Sugar colt Sugar Man, who made two speed moves for command, then turned in a pair of :27.3 back quarters to withstand pocket-sitter Wedlock Blue Chip by 1-3/4 lengths while stopping the timer in 1:51.1. Brett Pelling conditions the winner, whose two career triumphs have both come at Philly, for the ownership of David McDuffee, Melvin Hartman and Rojan Stables.

Sugar Man was the favourite in his Liberty Bell section, but Knockout Round returned 8-1 to his backers, and the winners of the $19,444 fast-class handicap events on their respective gaits were the two biggest paying winners of the afternoon.

All four of the rivals of Agedcheddar Hanover were sent off by the public at 3-1 or less while the pacer was let go at 19-1, but the gelded son of Betterthancheddar was dismayed by neither his lack of mutuel support nor his position of last at the stretch call while winning in a lifetime best (at age eight) of 1:50.3. Agedcheddar Hanover flashed a giant late kick on a day when that tactic was not used by many winners and overhauled the entire field in the lane, winning by a neck over Captain Crusader A in a race that had four in the field within half a length at the finish. Ridge Warren masterminded the upset for Breeders Crown-winning trainer Jake Leamon and owner Dona McDonald.

Tim Tetrick, leading driver at Philly and tops in reaching the winner's circle on Friday with four visits to Victory Lane, gave a master class in sulky patience while directing the E L Titan gelding Platinum AS to an 11-1 upset of a talented trotting field in 1:53.1. Tetrick kept Platinum AS inside rather than send him first-over before the half, but then slipped out to follow cover when no one moved up to follow the uncovered horse. From there, Tetrick swung his charge wide, made the lead mid-stretch, then held off a late rally by Lava Field by a nose for trainer Anette Lorentzon and ACL Stuteri AB.

Also notable was the 1:54.3 mile turned in by the Muscle Hill-Designed To Be two-year-old trotting colt Herecomesdajudge, as that clocking missed the Philly divisional record set earlier this year by Father TJ by only two-fifths of a second. Herecomesdajudge, who rallied to catch pacesetter Lefties Righties by a nose, has now won two straight for trainer Julie Miller and driver Andy Miller, whose Andy Miller Stable Inc. shares ownership with T L P Stable, Mr. Caroll Huffman and Patrick Hoopes.

The Liberty Bell Stakes will come to a 2024 end during Sunday’s 12:40 p.m. card at Philly, with three-year-old fillies of each gait going in two events worth $30,000 USD per race. There will also be a carryover into that day’s Pick 5 wager beginning in race five.

(With files from PHHA / Harrah’s Philadelphia)