When rival Bettor Trix N was scratched from the featured $17,000 distaff pace at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Wednesday afternoon (Oct. 31), the A Rocknroll Dance filly Scuola Hanover looked like she would have fairly smooth sailing to her fifth straight victory. But the favourite came up short in the stretch, and Jayes A Lady sprang a $23.40 upset for driver Andy Miller in 1:52.3.
Big City Betty gunned away to the lead in :26.2 despite the outside post 7 before early pocket sitter Cuts Like A Knife moved and gained the lead well before the cutthroat :54.3 half. Scuola Hanover led the outer tier, with Jayes A Lady and Believe In Me behind her, and when Big City Betty tired from her early efforts, Scuola Hanover was able to tuck into the pocket before the blistering 1:22.2 three-quarters. Jayes A Lady, covered to this point, grinded up to take the lead in the lane, then held off Believe In Me by a half-length, with Cuts Like A Knife another length back for third a neck ahead of Scuola Hanover.
The victory was the first of the year for the McArdle mare after eclipsing $100,000 in earnings in 2017. Nancy Johansson trains Jayes A Lady for Caviart Farms.
The Camluck gelding Feeling Cam Lucky turned in the fastest mile of the day in a $12,500 pace for driver George Napolitano Jr., going wire-to-wire in 1:50.4, but it’s just as likely that people were talking about the second-place finisher afterward. The Somebeachsomewhere gelding Duplicated N, another of the “New Zealand pipeline horses” for the team of JoAnn Looney-King and Jim King Jr. of Shartin N fame, got away second fromlast from his outside starting position, was ten lengths out at the half, then negotiated his own back half in :53.4 while also shifting stretch course to avoid the drifting winner to finish second, beaten 1-1/4 lengths.
Gilbert Garcia-Herrera, who owns and trains Feeling Cam Lucky, had three training wins on the day, using three different drivers. Tim Tetrick topped the drivers with a hat trick.
(Harrah's Philadelphia)