The betting favourites did not let the crowd down during the two $16,000 features on the Wednesday afternoon (Nov. 6) card at Harrah’s Philadelphia, as Arties Ideal and Yankees Beast proved victorious in their respective splits. On the undercard, trainer Mark Harder collected a hat trick.
First up was the contest for pacing males, and the crowd naturally went to the American Ideal sophomore colt Arties Ideal, who finished third in his Little Brown Jug elimination and was second in the New York Sire Stakes final to Hickfromfrenchlick. Arties Ideal did not disappoint from the pole, going coast-to-coast in 1:52.2 to defeat Smackitwithahammer by 1-3/4 lengths. The father-son team of driver Marcus and trainer Erv Miller saw the three-year-old boost his bankroll to $345,078 lifetime for Bay Pond Racing Stable.
In the trotting section, the Yankee Glide sophomore gelding Yankees Beast was sent off at the public’s choice off several good races at this level, although the occasional break made their support a bit lighter. Yankees Beast sustained a long uncovered bid and ground down pacesetter Trixar — who himself had been hung almost three-eighths of a mile to make the top — by a length in 1:56.2. Tim Tetrick drove the winner for trainer Anette Lorentzon and owner Anna Kristina Lorentzon.
Drivers Tetrick and Dexter Dunn joined Harder with three wins apiece on the card.
(with files from PHHA/Harrah's Philadelphia)