The annual late-season run of the Liberty Bell Stakes series began at Harrah’s Philadelphia over a sloppy track on Thursday, Oct. 30, with two-year-old colts and geldings featured.
Each gait had two divisions, with a combined $189,014 on line in the four contests. It was a good day for pacing sire Tall Dark Stranger and trotting stallion Captain Corey, as both studs accounted for the two winners on their respective gaits.
The three drivers who each had three victories on the Thursday card – Simon Allard, Jack Pelling, and Johnathan Ahle – took down a division of the stakes racing in a photo decision, with the other won by Tim Tetrick, Philly’s leading driver, by a wide margin.
The best combination of the day was that of driver Ahle and trainer Åke Svanstedt, as they hooked up for three victories, one of them with a Liberty Bell trot winner, the striking piebald Nebbiolo ($6.60). Nebbiolo, owned by Knutsson Trotting Inc., had to be very good to get by the stubborn pacesetter, stablemate Dublin Hanover (Sarah Svanstedt), but the colt out of Via Lattea It got the job done in the first $42,254 division by a quarter-length in 1:57.1. Nose Jammer (Todd Schadel) was third.
The quickest stakes mile was produced by Really Bright ($13.80), out of Economy Terror, in the $52,535 second pacing split. Allard got the gelding to the early lead, yielded to sit the pocket, and sent him up the inside in the lane to defeat Another C Note (Tetrick) by a quarter-length in 1:53 with a last quarter of :27.2. Heartfelt Hanover (Corey Callahan) finished third. Really Bright is trained by Hunter Oakes for owners Howard Taylor and Chuck Pompey.
The $51,972 first Liberty Bell pace was taken by Southwind Spencer ($6.20), who came from last (fourth) at the stretch call to get up over passing lane contender Easy Breeze (Eddie Dennis) by a head in 1:53.4. Ghetto Loupastar (Tetrick) completed the ticket. Pelling, who had won the early double, completed his triple with the colt out of Sansovina Hanover for trainer Doug Snyder and owner Geraldine Poerio.
In the second trot split, Jim Beam ($4) bucked the photo-finish trend, going straight to the top and winning by 7-3/4 lengths while equaling his mark of 1:56. Beer In My Hand (Cody Schadel) was second, followed by Mister Nice Captn (Ahle). Tetrick was in the sulky for the winner of two straight, with Scott Di Domenico training the colt out of Melania for owner Allen Wenc.
Team Ahle/Svanstedt also won the $22,535 Winners Over Handicap Trot overnight feature with Mr Bluebird ($6), a son of Six Pack-Goosebump Hanover. Since returning to Philly in August, the four-year-old stallion now has five wins and one second in six starts for Ake Svanstedt Inc., Little E LLC, and Torbjorn Swahn Inc. Mr Bluebird was a neck winner, and he got the better of a Svanstedt stablemate, favoured Khaosan Road (Tetrick), in a 1:54 mile that featured a last split of :27.2. Kinnder Thinktwice (Ridge Warren) was third.
Act III of the Ahle/Svanstedt show was the Chapter Seven-Inspired By Life freshman filly Who Dares Wins ($4.60), who broke her maiden easily in 1:56.1 in the slop for Order By Stable AB. Svanstedt's triple added to another strong season for the top trainer, who is clicking at a 20.8 per cent rate in 2025.
The Liberty Bell Stakes will continue with three-year-old fillies of both gaits on Friday’s card, which will have a special 2:30 p.m. post time because of the Breeders' Cup weekend at Del Mar.
(PHHA/Harrah's Philadelphia)