A field of eight trotters lined up for the Thursday feature, a winners over $25,000 lifetime handicap, at Harrah’s Philadelphia and it turned out to be a wide-open betting affair.
The public was split between invading three-year-old Gural Hanover, who has hit the board in all twelve of his lifetime starts, and Holy Halibut, a winner of three of his last four.
At the start, it was NF Happenstance (Andrew McCarthy) moving out for the lead, but he was quickly tackled by Holy Halibut (Geo Napolitano, Jr.) by an opening quarter in :27. After a rated :29.2 second quarter, five-year-old trotter Appomattox (Anthony Morgan) emerged first-over. Three-quarters went in 1:25.1 (:28.1). In the stretch, Holy Halibut was under heavy attack, as NF Happenstance and Gural Hanover (George Brennan) launched their initiatives. In the end, it was NF Happenstance pulling off the upset, winning by a length, stopping the clock in 1:53.2. Holy Halibut was second, while Gural Hanover finished third.
The winner, who paid $33.20, is owned by William Weaver and is trained by Noel Daley.
(Harrah’s Philadelphia)