The favourites made breaks in the $18,750 feature for developing males at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Sunday, Sept. 28, which gave the opportunity to three-year-old pacer Combative to win in 1:52.4 after an aggressive steer.

Rooney In Tune forced tucks early in a :27.1 opener, with the Captaintreacherous-Acquavella gelding Combative second and Falkirk third after Best Chip lost his stride, and then heavy favourite Falkirk (who got an “i” call on his line after the early incident) moved off the first turn to command. As the chalk clicked off the half in :56.4, driver Mark Herschberger made a big brushing move with Combative, clearing into the backstretch and leaving Falkirk to flounder and then break stride trying to get back into the race. Combative, 9-1 on the board, got to the three-quarters in 1:24.2 and then had little trouble in the lane, with ground-saving Pyrenees Hanover, at 42-1, rallying for the deuce ahead of 20-1 Rooney In Tune, with 30-1 Goodbye Stranger fourth.

Joe Pavia Jr. trains the five-time seasonal winner and 13-time starter for Steven Held, Pint Size Racing, John Whitig and Donald Kayser.

The $16,667 sub-featured pace for up-and-coming males was won in a cakewalk by the Tall Dark Stranger-Power Pack Hanover sophomore gelding Pack A Punch, who made the lead before the first turn for driver George Napolitano Jr., then threw a :55 last half haymaker that left his opposition far behind in a 1:51.4 mile. The winner of two of his last three succeeded for the Cancelliere brothers, trainer Tom and owner John.

The top pace for the fast-class pacers carried a purse of $18,056, and in it Christopher Dance N won his fifth straight race after suffering an “ix” in his American debut. The son of Sweet Lou-Just Dance rallied in :25.4 in his last race to notch a dead-heat win with Lyons Steel; this time Johnathan Ahle took command after a :27.2 opener, posted middle fractions of :55 and 1:23, then needed “only” a :26.4 dash home to be well-clear of a late-closing Oakwood Heymiki IR in the 1:49.4 mile for trainer Jeff Cullipher and owner Pollack Racing.

In the $15,278 second-level fast-class pace, Seven Colors, a son of Stay Hungry-Rainbowinthedark and a winner of $1,232,530, has now paced to a 1:49.3 victory in his last two starts at Philly despite hard early involvement. Starting from the outside post seven on Sunday, Seven Colors needed until the three-eighths to get the controls then had first-over pressure in wicked fractions (:25.4, :54.3, 1:22), but he showed his class and dug in for a three-quarter length victory over Wehadababyetzaboy for driver Jack Pelling and trainer Andrew Harris, the latter co-owner with William Pollock and Bruce Areman.

Speed honours on the day went to the Always A Virgin-Astra Destiny gelding Big Gulp, who sat in the two-hole behind huge fractions, moved out in the stretch and reduced his lifetime mark to 1:49.2 for driver Simon Allard, trainer Ed Gannon Jr., and owners Jeff Fought Racing and Brian Carsey.

The Auckland Reactor N-Markeaton Navi gelding Juddy Douglas A had a short but profitable stay with trainer Josue Garcia and owner Anthony Ventriglio, here taking his second straight $15,278 claiming handicap pace for the top-priced horses at the track while equalling his mark of 1:50.4. Jack Pelling moved “Juddy” for the second time to take over the lead in front of the grandstand, and then the pacer met a stern challenge from first-over Santafes Coach for the last three-eighths of a mile, finally defeating that rival by a half-length. Ventriglio and Garcia earned $15,278 in two starts with Juddy Douglas A, minus expenses, as he was claimed out of this event.

Jack Pelling took honours with four winning drives, for four trainers including his father Brett. Driving doublers were Simon Allard, Mark Herschberger and Troy Beyer; Beyer’s is worth an extra mention because they both came for the meet’s leading Izzy Estrada, including a win payoff of $74.40 (one you don’t associate with meet leaders) with Capo Bovino.

John Calabrese won $10,417 race for the American Harness Drivers Club (AHDC), scoring with trainer Ivan Llopez's pacer Hashtag Money in 1:52.1.

Harrah’s Philadelphia will now be “dark” for live racing until Friday, Oct. 10, as the racing surface gets a refurbishment. Harrah’s Philly will still be open for simulcasting.

(With files from PHHA/Harrah's Philadelphia & AHDC)