Favourites tasted defeat in all four divisions of the John Simpson Memorial for two-year-old colts and geldings on Sunday afternoon (Oct. 6) at Harrah's Philadelphia, and all four winners took lifetime marks.
Blank Stare ($19.00) took top honours among 14 freshman pacing males, dueling prohibitive favourite Lake Charles for a 1:52.4 victory in the first of two $49,700 divisions of the Bret Hanover.
Corey Callahan angled the gelded son of Bolt The Duer-Hypnotize first over from fourth as Pennsylvania Stallion Series standout Lake Charles rated a :57.2 half mile. Up the backstretch Blank Stare accelerated to force a quickening pace, sticking a nose in front past three-quarters in 1:24.4 before dueling for the entirety of the far turn. Off the home corner Blank Stare asserted and pushed clear of Lake Charles by one-and-a-half lengths while Diamond Head finished third.
John Butenschoen trains three-time winner Blank Stare for the Harmony Oaks Racing Stable, James Crawford IV and the In Over My Head Stable.
The second Bret Hanover division saw Save Me A Dance ($31.20) and George Napolitano Jr. employ similar first-over tactics to grind down odds-on favourite Cigars And Port on approach to the final turn. The Heston Blue Chip-Dance Hall Girl colt then outlasted a late rally from the second-over JK Lucky Charms by a half length to win in 1:54.2. Alota Chips lifted from third over to narrowly miss the runner-up spot.
Save Me A Dance gave Napolitano one of two stakes wins on the card, and was the second half of a stakes double for owner Robert Key and trainer Andrew Harris.
Key and Harris also prevailed in the first $60,000 division of the Super Bowl for juvenile trotting males when Sky Castles dug in through the far turn to parry a first-over challenge from 6-5 choice Loyal Fox Hanover before sprinting away to win by two-and-three-quarter lengths in 1:56.2. Hopeusteponalego finished a farther three-and-three-quarter lengths behind in third. It was the second career win for the son of Conway Hall and Sand Piper. Jason Bartlett drove the $6.60 winner.
Napolitano completed his stakes double in the second Super Bowl split with Hell Patrol ($10.40). The Yankee Glide-Day At The Spa gelding followed live second-over cover up the backstretch and vaulted three wide to the lead after pacesetter Barley broke stride nearing the top of the stretch. Hell Patrol lifted late to reel in 1-2 favourite Saxon — who inherited the lead from the pocket — by a half length in 1:57.1. Kyrie Deo rallied from third-over to take third.
Marcus Melander trains two-time winner Hell Patrol for Courant Inc.
Racing returns to Harrah's Philadelphia on Wednesday (Oct. 9), with a 12-race card due to begin at 12:25 p.m. (EDT).
(Harrah's Philadelphia)