Turn Up The Music and Travolta Blue Chip, a Saturday Night Fever parlay even on a Friday, both danced home victoriously in the $16,667 featured races for developing horses on April 17 at Harrah’s Philadelphia, giving owner Morrison Racing Stables a sweep of the headliners.

Turn Up The Music, a four-year-old daughter of Tall Dark Stranger and Dance Blue, pushed away hard from the gate in the distaff pace then yielded for the pocket as the 1-1 second choice. She stayed in the hole until Shes A Rich Girl (Tim Tetrick), the 1-1 first choice, came out entering the far turn, and driver/trainer Joe Bongiorno got the winner moving in high gear quickly, making the lead early in the lane and then holding safe the chalk by 1-3/4 lengths. Turn Up The Music lowered her mark to 1:51.3 while pacing her own back half in :55.3. The win was her second in 20 starts since her racing debut last April. The pacesetting third-place finisher With The Fur (George Napolitano Jr.) was placed fourth for a pylon violation while Spray On (Troy Beyer) inherited the show spot.

Travolta Hanover took over the throttle at the quarter and was in control for the rest of the 1:55 mile in the co-featured trot, with Abbey Blue Chip (Tim Tetrick) closing on him late but no closer than three-quarters of a length on the money while Bayside Cue (Brandon Givens) took third four lengths back. The winning son of Muscle Hill-Twice A Night, who came his last half in :56.3, was driven to the convincing triumph by Mark Herschberger for trainer Annie Stoebe. A New Jersey Sire Stakes winner three starts into his career last May, Travolta Hanover now has three wins from 20 races. 

The top event for the fast-class horses on the day was an $15,972 handicap pace for distaffs to open the 14-race card, and potential backers of the four-year-old Papi Rob Hanover-See You At Peelers mare Champagne Room got a subtle tip from the horse’s connections, trainer Ron Burke and owners Burke Racing and Weaver-Bruscemi – they lured Yannick Gingras to Philly for a cameo appearance behind the $400,000-plus earner. Bet down to a heavy favourite despite not racing in just over five months, Champagne Room served notice she might be in the top mares mix this year with a powerful win in 1:50.3 after making two moves, though she was extended by second-over Reckless Abandon (Joe Bongiorno) and won by three parts of a length after pacing her last split in :27.

Joe Bongiorno scored a natural hat trick as a trainer/driver starting with his feature win behind Turn Up The Music and adding scores with a pair of recent newcomers to his stable, three-year-old Perfect Sting-Lady Lou filly She Stings and four-year-old Heston Blue Chip-Hoax mare Hobby Gone Crazy.

Driving doubles were turned in by Johnathan Ahle, Mark Herschberger and perennial Philly leader Tim Tetrick; Noel Daley sent out two winners from his barn.

Features for both up-and-coming and established pacers will top the week-ending Sunday card at Harrah’s Philadelphia, which begins at 12:40 p.m. 

(With files from PHHA/Harrah's Philadelphia)