The Liberty Bell Stakes for Pennsylvania-sired youngsters continued on Sunday afternoon, Oct. 20 at Harrah’s Philadelphia, with three-year-old trotting colts and two-year-old pacing fillies providing the action.
The first of the two $53,194 divisions of the Liberty Bell for babies produced a one-two finish for trainer Jim King Jr., as the Papi Rob Hanover-Paulas Best miss Pilar Hanover moved to the lead in front of the stands, got a moderate half, then darted home in :27.2 to be well clear of stablemate Lyons Anitasangel at the end of the 1:53.1 mile. Tim Tetrick guided the winner as she added a Liberty Bell crown to her three Stallion Series triumphs for owners Jo Ann Looney-King and Paton Racing Inc.
Tetrick/King were right back in the winner's circle after the second and faster division, with the Bettors Wish-Mcsauna miss Royally Hot after she lowered her mark to 1:51.3. The two-year-old showed racing technique beyond her years as he was caught in a shuffle on the final turn as the outer tier paced past the leader, but Tetrick (whose Tim Tetrick LLC owns the winner) was able to back her out to the two-wide flow and get her to accelerate quickly. Royally Hot, coming off a Keystone stakes victory, paced determinedly to go clear late of Beckoning Yankee, who won a three-horse photo for second ahead of Papis Opinion (third) and Lyons Benz (another Jim King trainee).
The pair of fields of trotting males raced for purses of $41,667. First to parade back to Victory Lane was the Bar Hopping-Up Front Hotsey gelding Usain Hanover, who quarter-moved to command for driver Tyler Buter, trotting a middle half of :54.3 to take control of the race, and winning by himself in 1:53.1. Now a winner of half his 14 seasonal starts, Usain Hanover is trained by Nifty Norman for his own Enzed Racing Stable Inc.
The other stakes trot provided a minor upset, as Blackhawk Zette was heavily favoured to record his 11th win of the year. However, the Greenshoe-Noblesse Blue Chip colt Luke The Spook proved the better sophomore on the day, moving uncovered down the backstretch and easily going by the pacesetting chalk while lowering his mark to 1:53 for the Melander brothers -- driver Mattias and trainer Marcus -- and AM Bloodstock Inc.
Tim Tetrick had three wins on the day and George Napolitano Jr. had one, which means that the two drivers who have between them won the last 17 Philly dash-winning titles (Tetrick nine, Napolitano eight) are dead-even at 121 victories during 2024.
Thursday afternoon racing at 12:25 p.m. returns in the next live Philly card.
(With files from PHHA / Harrah's Philadelphia)