The Western Terror-Dougs Courage mare Dougs Babe A posted a commanding victory in the $18,310 conditioned feature pace at Harrah's Philadelphia while lowering her lifetime mark at age nine with a 1:49.3 clocking on Thursday, Nov. 12.
Driver Bradley Chisholm took no prisoners with the winner of $818,757, rambling down the road with splits of :27.1, :55.2 and 1:22.1. Dougs Babe A drew farther clear with every last-half step, eventually winning by 6-1/2 lengths. Please Be You (George Napolitano Jr.) was second-best, followed by Strutsville (Patrick Ryder).
Nifty Norman trains the sharp mare for owners Tom Vassiliou and Nicholas Tallarico. Dougs Babe A is now 34-for-150 lifetime. She paid $8.20 to win.
The $16,197 distaff pacing sub-feature, a handicap, also produced an impressive wire-to-wire winner in the seven-year-old Downbytheseaside-Passionate Beauty mare Factory Girl ($2.10). She froze the timer at :27, :55.1, and 1:23.1 before completing the mile two lengths ahead of Loot (George Napolitano Jr.) in 1:51. Cerise Rainbow A (Simon Allard) finished third. Tim Tetrick had the sulky seat for trainer Scott Di Domenico and owner Angela Cornell. The mare improved to 20-for-90 lifetime.
A deluge passed through southeastern Pennsylvania midcard, starting as the horses were on the track for the seventh race and then necessitating a 40-minute gap to the eighth as the track crew re-readied the surface.
There were two $16,901 contests for developing horses, both after the track condition had been changed to “sloppy.” Dominican Sunshine ($20.20) reduced her mark to 1:53.1, the Always B Miki-Dominican Hanover sophomore pacing filly swinging wide off the turn and taking the victory for driver Trae Porter and trainer Kelly Lancaster-Dailey, the latter co-owner with Joseph Cliver. On the trot, the Greenshoe-Celebrity Ruth three-year-old gelding Giuseppe C made it two straight the hard way: he got away last from the rail but circled his field to post a 1:56.4 victory for driver Bradley Chisholm, trainer Juan Cano and owner Hot Lead Farm.
Driver Bradley Chisholm has been mentioned twice already, but that fact only tells half the story, as the 29-year-old was the 11-race card's leader with four sulky successes. Patrick Ryder had two wins, as did Tim Tetrick; the latter, the five-time defending Philly champion, doubled his season’s lead over Simon Allard, with the tally now reading 124-122 after Allard won one race. Among trainers, Kelly Lancaster-Dailey had a pair of victories, as did Dean Eckley; combine the latter fact with Scott Di Domenico sending out one winning charge, and you have a 46-46 deadlock for meet honours.
Racing resumes at Harrah’s Philly on Friday at 12:25 p.m., with trotters both established and up-and-coming filling the featured slots.
(With files from PHHA/Harrah's Philadelphia; photo of Dougs Babe A winning on April 7, 2023)