Very nearly as much as the horses and horsepeople themselves, the southeast Pennsylvania weather played a decisive factor in the Friday afternoon racing at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
Moisture from the sky, whether drizzle or flurries, caused the track to be downgraded from “good” to “sloppy,” and was coupled with a strong headwind in the stretch, which necessitated horses finding success primarily by being close to the pace, and if on the lead backing off quarter two into the frigid wind.
Take the $21,127 featured trot as illustrating these points. The Donato Hanover mare Chake was hustled to the lead in a :27.4 quarter and then driver Rikard Skoglund backed the pace down to a :58 half. Chake thus had some in the tank when first-over Usain Hanover came on strongly before breaking past a 1:25.4 three-quarters, and she went on against the wind to withstand Resolve To Win by a half-length in 1:54.1. The winner, a model of consistency who now has earned almost $175,000 this year alone, is owned by Daniel Sarafian of Unionville, Ont., and is trained by Per Engblom, who sent out four winning charges during the 14-race card.
Three divisions of the $19,718 fast-class pace came together, with the fastest split showing the importance of a favourable journey. In his previous start, the Foreclosure N gelding Oakwood Paddy IR had set the pace, came home in :54.1 and was beaten a head; on Friday, Andrew McCarthy sat with the Irish-bred in the two-hole behind Lyons Steel, then went inside and beat that rival – by a head – in a race with a back half of :54.1. The 1:52 victory was the third in the last five starts for Oakwood Paddy IR, who is trained by Robert Cleary for Robert Corrigan and Ruari McNulty.
David Miller, who won five races on Friday to go with his four triumphs on Thursday, followed the day’s winning script with the veteran Somebeachsomewhere gelding Nicholas Beach, coasting while leading to a :57.4 half, then hitting the accelerator to storm home in :54.2 and finish clear in 1:52.1. Owned by John Lengacher, Melco Devim Inc., and Jennifer Bongiorno Stable, Nicholas Beach is trained by Joe Bongiorno, who matched Engblom with four winners – in fact, those two trainers furnished Miller with all five of his winning drives, Bongiorno three and Engblom two.
The other feature pace went to the Betting Line gelding Dean B Hanover, who was able to sit in third until late in the backstretch, then overhauled pacesetter Pass Line by a neck in 1:53.3, with Wichita Lineman just photoed for the deuce and pacesetting favourite Camara Moment beaten only a half-length while fourth. Tim Tetrick drove Dean B Hanover for trainer Jeff Cullipher and Pollack Racing.
The temperature is forecast to rise to a “balmy” 55 degrees in dry conditions for the final card of the week at Philly, set for Sunday at 12:40 p.m. After that, the track will be dark for live racing on U.S. Thanksgiving Thursday and Friday, with the trotters and pacers coming back on Sunday, Dec. 1.
(PHHA / Harrah’s Philadelphia)