Jackies Jim was a “pocket rocket” in taking the $17,000 featured trot on Thursday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia in 1:56.3.
Driver Scott Zeron quickly grabbed the early advantage with the sophomore Muscle Massive gelding, then yielded to Mr Houdini and sat behind that one during fractions of :28.2, :58.2 and 1:27.2. Favourite Tymal Reign couldn’t sustain her first-over bid through the lane, and Zeron chose the route inside of Mr Houdini, winning by “only” a half-length but with Zeron “sitting chilly” in the bike on the 44-degree day.
Jackies Jim, who had won three straight before having too far to come in finishing fourth in his previous start, got a new winning skein going for trainer Gary Simpson and owner Eric Good. (Ironically, Mr Houdini, just behind today’s winner, lost a three-race winning streak with the narrow defeat.)
There were a pair of $14,500 co-features on “Trottin’ Thursday” at Philly. The first went to the Cams Rocket sophomore gelding What That Is, who came strongly off cover and then withstood the horse on his back, favoured Marion Gondolier, by a length in 1:55.3 for driver Eric Carlson, trainer Kerry Welty and owner Brian Emerson. (An extra point if you saw “Cams Rocket trotter” and thought of breeder Richard Hans, of Googoo Gaagaa fame.)
In the second co-feature, Majestic Presence controlled the throttle en route to a 1:54.3 triumph for driver Andy Miller and trainer/wife Julie. The Majestic Son mare let Truemass Volo go to the lead before the :27.3 quarter, quickly reclaimed the top and posted mid-splits of :57 and 1:25.1, and then withstood a nice comeback effort from Truemass Volo by a length, winning her second straight for owner Kapildeo Singh.
The full sister to Pinkman, the Explosive Matter-Margie Seelster baby filly Im All Pink, made her career debut a winning one, rallying from the pocket to catch pacesetter Bag O Chips by a neck in 1:57.4. The $210,000 yearling, owned by Christina Takter, John Fielding, Joyce McClelland, and Herb Liverman, was handled by trainer Jimmy Takter, a man who looked awfully comfortable in the sulky that he is due to trade for a rocking chair upon his upcoming retirement.
Winning the day’s honours for most impressive pacing performance was the A Rocknroll Dance sophomore filly Reclamation, who is a mini-United Nations all in one – bred in Sweden, she is part-owned by Donal Murphy of Ireland, who put a 8-4-3-0 scorecard on her this year at home tracks, then sent her over Stateside to trainer Ron Burke, where she races for Murphy and owner W.J. Donovan, and had Canadian-American driver Yannick Gingras guiding her in his first U.S. start to a 1:53.4 win. The filly came home in :56 – :27.4 without competition, but with giving the impression that there still is plenty more left in the tank.
George Napolitano Jr. continued a hot sulky streak, with four winners today combining with the three he reined home first yesterday.
(PHHA/Harrah's Philadelphia)