Benjamin Hanover, despite being handicapped outside to post seven, just had too much for his opposition easily winning the $21,429 featured fast-class handicap trot on Friday afternoon, Dec. 27 as Harrah’s Philadelphia began the last week of its 2024 season.
Driver Johnathan Ahle had the Sebastian K S gelding up on the gate and eyeing early position, but when many of his lefthand neighbours showed the same inclination, the pair tucked in fifth as All Wrapped Up made two moves to control the pace in fractions of :27.3 and :57.1. A winner of this class on last time out on Dec. 20, Benjamin Hanover then put in a relentless uncovered grind, going his own back half in :55.3 on a chilly day to get closer to the leader by the 1:25.2 three-quarters, then trotting on strongly to defeat the leader by two lengths in 1:54 for trainer Scott Di Domenico and owner Angela Cornell. The four-year-old knows how to win: this was his 12th success in 22 seasonal starts and his lifetime scorecard reads 19-for-32.
In the $20,000 sub-feature trot, Intl Blockade, an International Moni sophomore gelding, had somewhat of a similar journey as Benjamin Hanover: taking back after contemplating an early move from post seven, then coming on the attack and trotting his last half in :56.3. Intl Blockade did have the advantage of being in a lively cover flow, and he overhauled first-over Ahadi AS by half a length in 1:56.4 for driver Corey Callahan, trainer Ron Burke and owners Burke Racing Stable and Weaver Bruscemi, announced yesterday as 2024 Owners of the Year in the USHWA Dan Patch Award voting.
Pacing distaffs had a feature as well, a $18,571 contest in which Blood Moon A, on an uncovered second move, was able to beat out resurgent rail-shooter Rec Time by a head in 1:55.2. The winning daughter of Pet Rock, trained by Jeff Cullipher for Pollack Racing, was driven by 21-year-old Brett Beckwith, who during the card was announced as the Dan Patch Rising Star Award winner for 2024.
Johnathan Ahle had four winning steers on the Friday card -- three of them for trainer Scott Di Domenico, the only trainer who tripled. Three wins were posted by driver Corey Callahan -- two for the Ron Burke barn. Also doubling were trainer Deborah Daguet and drivers Brett Beckwith and George Napolitano Jr.
There are two cards left on the 2024 calendar at Harrah’s Philadelphia. Sunday’s racing will start as usual at 12:40 p.m., with a carryover into the fifth race Pick 5 wager, and then the year will close out with a Tuesday card on New Year’s Eve, with the trotters and pacers first going gateward at 4 p.m.
(PHHA / Harrah's Philadelphia; Photo of Benjamin Hanover from a previous win)