Three-year-old gelding Trump The Warrior gained steadily the last three-eighths of a mile to overhaul pacesetter RJ Dont Peachim and win the quicker of two featured $16,438 conditioned trots for developing horses in 1:59 on Friday, Dec. 19 at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
There was a strong stretch headwind all day, while both the surface and variant were changed: from “sloppy” to “good,” but counterintuitively from “+1” to “+2.”
Tim Tetrick got Trump The Warrior out behind cover early in the backstretch, briefly lost being able to “draft along” when that horse broke but then found a new horse to follow. Down the lane, the leading RJ Dont Peachim (Simon Allard) tried hard but couldn’t hold off the half-length winner, while Brother Love (Stacy Chiodo) rounded out the top three. Per Engblom conditions the Swan For All-Free Wheeling gelding, who is now six-for-31 in his debut racing season, for owners Evans Nation of Seaford, New York and Engblom Farm of Wrightstown, New Jersey.
In the co-featured trot, there were six within a length of the winner at the wire, and a seventh less than another length behind. The horse home first was the Greenshoe-Traviata sophomore gelding PA Rocket, who had no one save a breaker beaten at the three-quarters, but passed tired foes to take a 2:01.4 decision, rewarding his scattered backers with a $119.80 payoff for a $2 win ticket. He nosed out Encomium (Jonathan Ahle) and Hats And Horns (Patrick Ryder). Wayne Long rallied the three-year-old to victory -- the trotter's fourth win in 23 seasonal starts -- for trainer Joyce Lineweaver and the ownership of Pillar Stone Farm from Glen Campbell, Pennsylvania.
There was another big longshot in the last race of the day, as Travis Alexander trainee Courtship never saw a pylon yet still was the strong horse late, with Patrick Ryder handling the driving of the $98.80 winner and tying Johnathan Ahle for the drivers’ meet lead with three $50 “bombers.” Philly had a pair of $50+ winners on Oct. 24, had exactly one horse pay that much in the next 18 programs, then had the double tote board explosion on this card.
The Roll With Joe-Fatima Tk mare Petrol Queen has now won two straight for driver Jack Pelling and trainer Jacob Hartline, taking the $15,068 fast-class pace for distaffs in 1:55.3. Petrol Queen got a good second-over trip, then had plenty of petrol left in her tank to drive her through the stretch headwind and propel her to a 1-1/4-length win over first-over Perfidious Crown for Anatolia Racing.
Tim Tetrick, the track’s leading driver, had three wins on the day, a count matched by two other Philly top five drivers, Simon Allard and Jack Pelling.
One of the highlights of Sunday at Harrah’s Philadelphia will take place before the races start. At approximately noon, the Harrah’s Philly simulcast signal will be used to announce 2025’s 12 divisional champion racehorses (two-year-olds, three-year-olds, older; trot and pace, male and female) as voted on in a recent poll of the United States Harness Writers Association (USHWA) in conjunction with American Harness Racing Secretaries (AHRS). Harrah’s Philadelphia is one of the Caesars Entertainment properties, and Caesars is presenter of the Dan Patch Banquet in Florida in February, where the horses and connections will receive their awards.
The Sunday afternoon live card, which begins at 12:40 p.m. at Philadelphia has a $16,000 USD featured handicap trot and two quality paces going for $13,500 USD and $13,000 USD. There is also a carryover into both the first race Superfecta and the fifth race Pick 5 wager. On Wednesday, Harrah’s Philly will have a special Christmas Eve card of racing, with first post slated for high noon.
(With files from PHHA/Harrah's Philadelphia)