Trainer Noel Daley and driver Andrew McCarthy combined to win two of three divisions for the $104,100 Super Bowl, the John Simpson Sr. Memorial Stakes for two-year-old trotting colts, on Thursday afternoon (Oct. 20) at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
One of their winners was the Chapter Seven-Lass A Rope colt Volume Eight, who missed the divisional Philly record by only a fifth of a second with his 1:54.3 front-stepping effort. The big favourite, coming off a Lexington Grand Circuit win, was extended by pocket-sitter Father Stosh, but he remained a half length to the good at the wire for the partnership of Daley, Joe Sbrocco, LA Express & JAF Racing, and Mario Mazza while just missing the standard set by Once In A Lifetime in winning his Sire Stakes championship on Sept. 4.
McCarthy and Daley also clicked in the Super Bowl with Squared Away, the Cantab Hall-K Squared Hanover colt who sat in the pocket most of the way, pulled going to the far turn and went a handy 2-3/4-length win while reducing his mark to 1:55.3. Squared Away has now won three straight starts for Morrison Racing Stables.
The other Simpson section produced a “toteboard bomber” as Met Your Request, a gelding by Mets Hall-Quest Blue Chip, tailed the cover of 2-5 favourite Kimmeridgian through the last half, then went wide and just caught that rival by a neck while taking a mark of 1:56 and paying $67.40 to win. Tyler Miller drove the three-time winner for trainer and mother Julie and the ownership of Andy Miller Stable Inc. and Mr. Caroll Hoffman.
The talented veteran Crystal Fashion, second after a hard-luck journey last week, had fortune more on his side this time around and won the $22,500 fast-class handicap trot in 1:54.1. Tim Tetrick sent him to command early then let the favourite sit behind close second-choice Ghostintheshell S as that one cut the mile. The victorious Cantab Hall gelding moved out at the three-quarters and circled right to the lead, then held off a strong late bid by 26-1 shot Secret Bro to record a three-quarter length triumph, raising his earnings to $2,191.749 in winning for trainer Chuck Crissman Jr. and EVM Racing LLC.
Tetrick padded his meet-leading win total with seven visits to victory lane on the Thursday card.
Simpson series stakes action continues Friday (Oct. 21) with the $93,200 Razzle Hanover contest for two-year-old trotting fillies; they will be joined by $22,500 fast-class handicap paces separated by sex. The Simpson stakes will be featured the rest of this week and all of next week at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
(PHHA / Harrah's Philadelphia)