Storm Is Raging, who raced well without much luck throughout August and September, got a reasonable cover trip and was along to take the $22,500 featured handicap trot at a wet Harrah’s Philadelphia on Thursday (Oct. 13) in a competitive event that saw the first five separated only by a length.
Double Account was first to the top around Crystal Fashion in a :27 opener, then yielded to favoured Gangster Hanover only retake the lead and grab some rest to a :57.1 half. Hayek, winner of three straight including a win in this class in his last start, took the uncovered route with the Explosive Matter gelding Storm Is Raging following him well before the 1:25.1 three-quarters.
Double Account still had the lead turning for home, with Gangster Hanover trying to gain inside. Hayek continued on his determined grind, Storm Is Raging tipped wide for the drive, with Crystal Fashion backing out behind the winner and going widest to the wire. Any of the five looked to have a chance to win, but Storm Is Raging earned the 1:53.4 decision by a half length over Crystal Fashion; Hayek was another neck back of them and Double Account and Gangster Hanover were both just a neck off Hayek.
Storm Is Raging now has 16 wins in 42 starts. Carl Cocciolone, Mark Sosovicha, and Jack Piatt III own the talented trotter, who had the red-hot teaming of driver Simon Allard and trainer Ron Burke behind him.
Unraced at two, the Father Patrick sophomore gelding Emeralds Legacy is now seven for 11 in his career after a 1:54.2 victory in a $15,300 co-feature over a track that had turned “sloppy” a couple of races earlier. Emeralds Legacy sat in the pocket behind Saverio Hanover as that one set fractions of :27.4, :57.1 and 1:25.3, then rallied in the passing lane to record a half-length victory for driver Tim Tetrick, trainer Scott Betts and the ownership of Timothy Betts, Nicholas Catalano, Keith Pippi, and Shanamphilankilou Inc.
Simon Allard continued his recent torrid streak in the sulky into this next week – he steered four horses to first-place finishes on Thursday, giving him 26 winners in the last seven cards at Philly.
Fast-class pacers will be the headliners on the Friday (Oct. 14) card starting at 12:25 p.m. (EDT). Then on Sunday at 12:40 p.m., freshman pacing colts will start off two weeks of the John Simpson Sr. stakes.
(PHHA / Harrah's Philadelphia)