Young pacing females seeking to compete at a higher rung (and purse level) of the class ladder squared off in the Friday, June 27 features, worth $16,438, at Harrah’s Philadelphia.

In the quicker of the two races, many of the distaffers out to contest the early lead got shuffled when the eventual pacesetter tired down the backstretch. The Sweet Lou-Well Read mare Spicy Story got out into a live flow then ducked inside and out-closed Ginger Tree Rose by a neck in a lifetime best of 1:52.3. Spicy Story was niftily steered by Troy Beyer for trainer Stacy Chiodo and owner Donald Wolf.

In the other feature section, the Captaintreacherous-Act Like A Diva sophomore filly Act Classy got a cushy two-hole ride behind Supermax Contract through moderate fractions, then left that one and the rest of the opposition well behind while stopping the timer in 1:53.1. Patrick Ryder drove the winner for his father Chris Ryder, who trains the filly, and owner Strideline Racing.

There were also a pair of $15,068 pacing contests for two-year-old pacing fillies, with driver Tyler Buter and trainer Hunter Oakes invading from Pocono with two talented two-year-olds who had won two qualifiers and here made their pari-mutuel debuts successfully. One was the Papi Rob Hanover-OK Heavenly miss Imagine Heaven, who vacated the two-hole near the five-eighths then stormed home in :54.3 to win in a brisk 1:54.2, auguring good things to come for owners Flying A Racing Stable, Lucky Strike and Charles Oakes. (Imagine Heaven’s half-brother Dandy Ideal is in the Messenger Stakes later on Friday.)

Flying A also shares ownership (with Chuck Pompey) of the other Buter/Oakes precocious baby, Tall Dark Tequila, who worked to the lead before the quarter then flashed a :27.2 final frame to take a maiden mark of 1:56.1. Tall Dark Tequila is by Tall Dark Stranger out of Tequila Monday, the dam a winner of seven figures and a world champion.

Four-time defending Philly driving champion Tim Tetrick had three wins on the day, as did Mark Herschberger, who has now worked his way up to ninth in the standings.

Racing resumes at Philly on Sunday at 12:40 p.m. Starting this coming Wednesday, July 2, Harrah’s Philadelphia will have a live 12:25 p.m. program on that day on the five Wednesdays in July. Also, the post time for the Fourth Of July Friday has been switched to 12:40 p.m.

(PHHA/Harrah's Philadelphia)