The Pilot Discretion-Little Miss Herbie sophomore gelding Flight Of Fritz defeated favoured filly Moni Buys Happynes to win the $19,014 conditioned feature, leading a trio of winners for trainer Scott Di Domenico on “Trottin’ Thursday” at Harrah's Philadelphia on Thursday, Nov. 13.
Moni Buys Happynes (Jonathan Ahle), who had a 7-4-2-0 record coming into the race after not racing at two, went out to command and put up fractions of :27.4 and :57.2 before Flight Of Fritz roared up from midpack uncovered down the backstretch to take a small advantage before the 1:26.4 three-quarters for Tim Tetrick. While the leader showed grit by keeping her foe hung out at the end of the backstretch and through the turn, she could not resist his persistent onslaught in the stretch, with Flight Of Fritz reducing his mark by 2-3/5 seconds with the 1:55.3 victory. Show Me (Simon Allard) was third. The winner triumphed by three-quarters of a length for owners Triple D Stables Inc. and Michael Rekoon. He paid $18.70 to win in his seventh victory from 19 starts.
Tetrick teamed up with Di Domenico for another win before the reinsman headed to Dover Downs for Matron Stakes action. They combined with the five-year-old Sebastian K S-By A Neck Hanover gelding Benjamin Hanover ($2.20), who was just too good for his opposition as he won by five lengths in 1:54.2, although 123-1 shot Meadowbranch Noble (Tyler Miller) enlivened the pari-mutuel action by finishing second. He was followed by 37-1 outsider Saint K (Pelling). Benjamin Hanover, with 26 victories in 48 career starts, is owned by Angela Cornell.
Di Domenico completed the triple with I Get It ($5.40) in the 10th race, the nine-year-old's 71st career win in 177 starts. Ridge Warren piloted the gelding in the 1:56.3 effort for Triple D Stables Inc. and Rekoon.
Di Domenico is third in the Harrah's Philly trainers' standings with 43 wins, four behind second-placed Jeff Cullipher and 14 back of leader Izzy Estrada. The conditioner has 182 wins overall this year in 1,230 starts.
There were two $16,901 conditioned trots for developing younger horses. The first went to the Tactical Landing-Claire Michelle three-year-old gelding Clear For Landing, now a six-time winner in ten career starts in his debut season, in 1:58.4 for driver Allard, trainer Per Engblom, and Consus Racing Stable Inc. The 20-1 proposition Dws Lady Diva, a sophomore daughter of Devious Man-Yankeedoodlecandy, posted a 1:59.1 triumph in the other split for driver George Napolitano Jr., trainer Neal Ehrhart, and owner Jaypaul Hoover.
Di Domenico led the horsemen today with his three wins on the 11-race program. Others with multiple success stories besides Tetrick were driver Ahle and trainer Åke Svanstedt, who combined for two wins, and George Napolitano Jr. in the sulky.
Friday’s 12:25 p.m. card at Harrah’s Philadelphia will feature seven divisions of the second preliminary leg of a series for $10,000 USD claimers, with four of last week’s five first-round winners back in action trying to earn their way into their Nov. 30 championship.
(With files from PHHA/Harrah's Philadelphia)