The 13-year-old Real Desire-Lucky Pocket gelding Real Lucky N took the $17,361 final of a series for $13,889 claimers in 1:53.4 under chilly conditions at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Sunday, Nov. 30.

Real Lucky N, from post two, and post-seven starter Stretch The Line (Ridge Warren) were sent off as the 9-5 second choice and 3-2 favourite, respectively, both coming off wins in the prelims. While Stretch The Line had a short lead nearing turn one, Real Lucky N and driver George Napolitano Jr. took advantage of track geometry, forcing Stretch The Line to take the two-hole before a :27.2 quarter. Real Lucky N backed off the half to :57.1, then with the wind at his back continued to a three-quarters of 1:25, with Olive And A Twist (Tim Tetrick) vacating third to try to gain uncovered and the chalk still tight in the pocket.

But nobody was getting to Real Lucky N, as the veteran won by two lengths with Stretch The Line downing Olive And A Twist for second. The rest of the field, despite having won at least once in the prelims, could not reach major-factor status. 

Bob Belcher conditions Real Lucky N for owner William Hartt. The gelding tallied his 53rd win in 294 career starts and his eighth in 22 tries this year. He paid $5.80 to win.

There were also two consolations of the series, both for $13,889 purses. None of the four series prelim winners in Consolation 1 fought for major honours in the stretch; instead, Ishotthesheriff Gb, who had two seconds and a third in his prelims, edged out Double Up N (Warren), getting the nod by three parts of a length in 1:53.1. Your Brother (Tim Tetrick) was third. The victorious altered son of Henry Hill-Come Closer, who succeeded despite being three-wide from the five-eighths, was the co-longest shot on the board and returned $48.20 to win for driver Jack Pelling, trainer William Andrews, and owner Howard Taylor.

In Consolation 2, Sea Storm ($5) thundered away to force her opponents behind her early, then rated the half and came home in :56.4 to win in 1:54.4 by 1-1/4 lengths. The Bettors Delight-Preference mare’s stablemate in the meet-leading barn of Izzy Estrada, Idiosyncratic (George Napolitano Jr.), was second to the Estrada Racing LLC-owned winner. Social Drinker (Mark Herschberger) was third. None of the horses in that consolation won in the prelim action, but Sea Storm had won her last race – in a distaff claiming handicap pace – and now has two wins and a second since coming south to the hot Estrada stable.

A $22,222 Winners Over Handicap Trot brought together three horses who attracted the bulk of the wagering attention and who were certainly in winning form: Little Expensive and My Man Peter had both won three of their last four starts, while Lefties Righties had captured four of his last six. On Sunday, it was Little Expensive who added another “W” to his record, taking the front early, leading through :27.4 and :57.3 early fractions, then trying to bottom out the field in the last half. The tactic was successful, as the winning Muscle Hill-Seviyorum gelding steamed past three-quarters in 1:25 and held off a charging My Man Peter (Tetrick) by a neck in 1:53.4, with Lefties Righties (Corey Callahan) doing well in the two-hole to be only another three-quarters of a length behind in third. 

Julie Miller conditions Little Expensive, an 11-time seasonal winner in 26 tries for Andy Miller Stable Inc., Jean Goehlen, and VIP Internet Stable LLC. The five-year-old is now 18-for-59 lifetime. He returned $2.80 at the windows.

The top purse of the day for overnight pacers was the $18,750 offered to developing horses. The contest was won easily by the Captain Crunch-Tica Hanover gelding Captain Luffy in 1:53.1. The three-year-old, who was second in the Liberty Bell and fourth in the Simpson within his last few starts, grabbed the front early for Tetrick and didn’t have serious opposition late as he tallied for trainer Travis Alexander and owner Fiddler’s Creek Stables LLC.

Fast-class pacers had their moment in the spotlight in an $15,278 event, with the Roll With Joe-Ashkalini gelding Ignatius A victorious in 1:52. Johnathan Ahle got the veteran sidewheeler away in the two-hole, then ducked him to the inside, and the 11-year-old grabbed the lead and withstood Soho Spectre A (Tetrick), who was making his U.S. debut, by two lengths. Ignatius A is trained and owned by Noel Daley.

Tetrick and Simon Allard both had driving doubles on the 15-race card. In an unusual occurrence, more trainers than drivers had two-baggers; Travis Alexander had both of his winners driven by Tetrick, while Belcher and Estrada each had different drivers for their winner's circle visits.

Harrah’s Philly will host racing on Thursday and Friday at 12:25 p.m. and Sunday at 12:40 p.m. this coming week and next. There will then be some variation as the year-end holidays approach. Thursday’s card will feature top diamondgaiters in many classes in the track’s usual “Trottin’ Thursday” presentation.

(With files from Harrah's Philadelphia)