Howard Jacobs' Muscle Star outmuscled favoured pacesetter Choco Charlie to the line for a 1:56.2 victory in the $16,000 featured trot on Wednesday (Dec. 11) at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
Innisfallen and The Rave had grabbed the top two spots before the :28 quarter, with Choco Charlie moving in front of the stands to assume the lead before the :57.3 half. Coming off the second turn, Innisfallen broke from the pocket, enabling the first-over Muscle Star to get into the two-hole. Muscle Star then pulled outside approaching the 1:26.1 three-quarters, challenged the leader, and then beat him to the wire by 1-1/4 lengths.
George Napolitano Jr., who topped the day’s driving colony with four wins, guided the three-year-old Muscle Hill gelding to his first win in three starts since teaming up with trainer Christie Collins.
In the $14,000 co-featured trot, the Calchips Brute gelding Paging Doctor Teo blew up the tote board at 108-1, moving to the lead past Firen Woodshed late on the far turn and then withstanding Lucky Arnold by three-quarters of a length in a career best 1:58 for driver Billy Carter, trainer Neal Ehrhart and owner Virginia Ehrhart.
(PHHA/Harrah's Philadelphia)