Blazing Trail took full advantage of a couple of scratches and a breaking favourite, rallying from second-over to win the $15,300 featured trot at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Thursday afternoon.
Simon Allard kept the Father Patrick gelding in hand behind a slow pace, then was quick to follow the cover of Divine Spirit at the half. The trotter tipped three-wide on the last turn, went by both the first-over horse and front-stepper Bountiful Brittney by mid-stretch, and had a three-quarter of a length margin over the pacesetter at the end of a 1:57.2 mile, coming his own back half in :57.
Kenneth Tisa owns and trains Blazing Trail, who bumped his lifetime earnings to $108,163 with the win.
There was a pair of $14,400 co-features on “Trottin’ Thursday” at Philly in which both winners recorded their second consecutive victories.
Simon Allard also had the sulky seat behind the faster winner, Shadrack Hanover, a son of Muscle Hill, who controlled the pace and won by open lengths in 1:55.3, covering his back half in :57. The lightly-raced, improving horse is trained by Deborah Daguet for owner Kapildeo Singh.
In the other co-feature, the Bar Hopping three-year-old gelding Vincenti lowered his mark to 1:56.2, setting the pace and then powering home in :57.2 to withstand the charge of potential pocket rocket Tequila N Roses by a nose. Luke Hanners drove the Frank Tsipouras trainee for owner Alexandra Elaine Ulrich.
A $13,000 fast-class trot saw the closer Baldaquin come from last, speeding his own back half in :56, to just reach the wire first by a nose ahead of pacesetting Kenogami Coco in 1:55.1, with pocket-sitting Wings Of Speed another neck behind. Vinny Ginsburg drove the Explosive Matter gelding, who at age five has eleven wins in but 24 career starts and earnings of $109,493 for trainer Louise Pepin, also co-owner with Steven Bryden.
Tim Tetrick and George Napolitano, Jr., who between them have accounted for the last fourteen dash driving titles locally and are 1-2 in that order again this year, each guided three horses to victory Thursday.
(PHHA / Harrah’s Philadelphia)