A trio of $14,500 contests headlined the “Trottin’ Thursday” card at Harrah’s Philadelphia, with the final division producing the fastest winner and giving driver Tim Tetrick victories in the final two of the three features.
Patent Leather, a Broadway Hall sophomore colt who had won a division of the Liberty Bell stake here in September, went in 1:53.3 to win the third cut of Thursday’s top class for Tetrick, trainer Jim Campbell and Fashion Farms LLC (the last two teaming for their second victory on the card). Patent Leather came his own last half in :56.2 uncovered, but needed to go all of that to hold off the resurgent Majestic Presence by a length to send his earnings to $176,314 this season and $254,306 lifetime.
The recent French import Very Very Fast had been very very unlucky in his last two attempts to leave the starting gate quickly, getting hung out the mile both times. But today he faced only five rivals, and despite the outermost six-slot he was able to get to the front and commanded the second group from there, a half-length ahead of pocket sitter Bands Houdini at the finish in 1:56. Tetrick guided the gelded son of Quero, who now has combined earnings of $368,123 on both sides of the Atlantic, for trainer Robert Bresnahan, who is also co-owner along with Tom Sulkowski, Richard Vecchio, and Richard Lombardo.
Lilys Swan Pond, allowed to go off at 8-1 despite finishing second at a higher level at Yonkers just six days ago, overcame a first-over journey to win in 1:55.3, just a tick off his life mark, in the first of the tri-headliners. Brett Miller got a 57.2 individual back half out of the Swan For All gelding as they defeated pocket sitter Celebrity Pegasus by a half-length, boosting his 2018 earnings to $119,576 and his career accumulation to $351,513 for trainer Nick Surick and the Second Chance Stable Inc.
David Miller led all drivers with three victories on Thursday; Tetrick, Dexter Dunn, Tony Morgan, and George Napolitano, Jr. each had a double
Harrah’s Philadelphia will not have live racing this Sunday, so the Friday week-ending card at the riverside oval has the feature horses from two days: the top fillies and mares, and the best of the fast-class set. It should provide enjoyable and competitive action tomorrow, starting at 12:25 p.m.
(PHHA / Harrah’s Philadelphia)