Per Engblom, whose stable has sent out the second-most winners in North America this season, had the top two finishers in the $16,901 featured conditioned pace at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Sunday, Nov. 9 as Tonto Returns defeated Beanzy Fresh in a new lifetime mark of 1:53.2.
Tonto Returns, a three-year-old Fort Knox-Strings gelding, had the lead at the :27.3 quarter but yielded to his stablemate, who got a breather to the half in :57.3. Goodbye Stranger (Tyler Miller) made a powerful backstretch challenge through the 1:25.1 three quarters, but his bid tapered off, and through the stretch the big battle was between the two barnmates. Tonto Returns came up the inside to win by three-quarters of a length for driver Simon Allard. Beanzy Fresh (George Napolitano Jr.) finished second, followed by Strangeronthebeach (Mike Cole).
Tonto Returns is owned by Evans Nation, Engblom Stable LLC, and Hickory Hollow Stables. The gelding has now won three in a row and is eight-for-48 lifetime with $67,920 in earnings. He paid $4.80 to win.
Allard had another winner for Engblom, the only trainer to double on the 13-race card, as the reinsman compiled a personal three-bagger to bring him to 15-for-49 in the last six Philly cards. They scored with the 10-year-old Rock N Roll Heaven-Lyons Luck gelding Lyons Steel ($2.10), a 64-time winner in 270 starts. Lyons Steel, whose picture could appear next to a dictionary definition of “horses for courses,” won for the fifth time in his last six starts at the southeast Pennsylvania oval in a similar manner to Tonto Returns by sitting in the pocket and rallying near the pylons for a three-quarter-length victory. Second was Divine Right (Mark Herschberger), who went a huge race in the 1:51.2 mile. Lous Sweetrevenge (George Napolitano Jr.) was third. Jose Ramos trains Lyons Steel for owner BD Racing LLC.
The top-priced claimers on the grounds contested a $15,493 pace, which was taken by the Heston Blue Chip-Windemere Maggie gelding Blowin Smoke ($13.20) by a quarter-length over Dp Realordeal (George Napolitano Jr.) in 1:51.4 for driver Troy Beyer. Juddy Douglas A (Allard) was third. Blowin Smoke was claimed by owner Mark Jakubik for $12,500 USD on Sept. 14 and entrusted to trainer Darren Taneyhill, and since then the seven-year-old's scorecard has been 7-3-1-2, good for $31,096 in purses.
Racing resumes at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Thursday afternoon at 12:25 p.m.
(With files from the PHHA/Harrah's Philadelphia)