Trainer Per Engblom won the top two races at Harrah’s Philadelphia during the afternoon Christmas Eve card, with the barn producing the 1-2 finishers in the $19,178 featured trot when Kewpie Doll passed Top Gun Hanover late in a 1:55.1 mile.

Top Gun Hanover made two speed moves to control the tempo, with the Googoo Gaagaa three-year-old filly Kewpie Doll content to stay in third until the pocket horse started to not keep up, and driver Johnathan Ahle pulled on the right line of his charge. Kewpie Doll methodically trotted up to the pacesetter on the far turn and much of the way in the lane, showing she had a bit more left in the tank nearing the wire to take a length decision. The winner, now victorious in three of her last four, is owned by Dreamlover AB and Engblom Stable LLC.

Trainer Engblom again teamed with driver Ahle to take the $18,493 co-feature with Kanon Laser DK, who won his North American debut by swinging wide off the far bend to just catch Flight Of Fritz by a neck in 1:57.4. Flight Of Fritz attacked first-over, gained an advantage towards midstretch, but could not hold off the Danish-bred altered son of One Too Many, who is owned by Engblom Stable LLC and Kasper Foget.

The Walner three-year-old filly Entertain Me had hit the board in 13 of 20 seasonal starts without victory before coming up the inside after a two-hole trip and winning the $16,438 third-level event for developing trotters. Kyle Symington drove the sophomore miss to a new race mark of 1:59 for trainer Noel Daley and Harbor Racing Stable LLC.

The $15,068 claiming handicap pace for high-priced horses wound up in a 1:53.2 dead-heat between favoured The Boss Said (George Napolitano Jr.), giving him four wins in his last six starts, and The Bizzness N (Mark Herschberger), now victorious in two of his last three. The Boss Said set the pace; The Bizzness N stayed in third then moved when the outer tiers stalled, and was just up to tie the chalk. (Track announcer Mike Bozich alertly noted that the race, the second on the card, was one of only a very few instances with three Double payoffs, as there was also a consolation double on a late scratch.)

For the second year in a row Harrah’s Philadelphia had the distinction of hosting the very last Christmas Eve race in the entire world, according to the simulcasting network, though this year the card from Valparaiso, Chile (simulcast through Laurel runners) ran until five minutes before Philly’s last post.

No fewer than 10 horsemen had multiple winners on the card. Drivers with three victories were Johnathan Ahle, two for trainer Per Eriksson as mentioned above; Corey Callahan, for three different barns; and Mark Herschberger, who won races one, two, and 15, the latter two for Ron Burke. Driving doubles went to Brandon Givens (both for trainer Mark Akins), George Napolitano Jr., and Kyle Symington (both for trainer Noel Daley).

Harrah’s Philadelphia wishes everyone an enjoyable December 25. The track will return with its final three cards of the year: on Friday, Dec. 26 at 12:25 p.m.; on Sunday at 12:40 p.m. with a dandy of an $18,000 USD Invitational trot, and then on New Year’s Eve Wednesday at 4 p.m., with all potential “carryover” pools mandatorily distributed in their last iteration on the card. 

(PHHA / Harrah's Philadelphia)