Tim Tetrick provided the fireworks on the final card of the 2021 racing season at Harrah’s Philadelphia, as he guided home 10 winners on the 15-race program to equal the all-time record at the riverside oval first set by George Napolitano Jr. on November 11, 2009.
Tetrick, who drove in 14 races, was victorious in races one, two, three, six, nine, ten, twelve, thirteen, fourteen and the climatic fifteenth.
The last race matched up Tetrick driving 11-1 outsider Searching For You, a frequent winner in Iowa but far back upon coming to this class, and 1-5 favourite Vendor Bill, who had a first and two seconds in his last three starts at this level and was driven by – George Napolitano, Jr.
Vendor Bill went first-over, with Searching For You in Tetrick-typical second-over position; when the chalk cleared into the final turn, Searching For You went right up to him, and from mid-stretch it was certain that Tetrick was going to write yet another line in local record books that have his name all over them.
Tetrick wound up the meet with 269 victories, his seventh dash driving championship at Harrah’s; early in the day he had been presented with a congratulatory sign in the winners circle. He is solidly second behind ironman Aaron Merriman in the 2021 North American standings, but his day's work contributed to Tim overhauling Dexter Dunn to win the 2021 U.S. drivers money title by just $338.
Trotter Brigitte Bi and pacer Moonlight Shadow were the winners of the $14,400 co-featured events.
In the trot, Tequila N Roses out-zoomed everybody to the top, with second choice Brigitte Bi and favoured Shadrack Hanover pressing on outside to the :28 quarter. Brigitte Bi made the top soon off the first bend; Shadrack Hanover went on and grabbed the racetrack before the second turn, putting up middle splits of :57 and 1:25.4.
The others had faded by the three-quarters, and the two rivals moved outside to challenge the favourite. Suddenly Shadrack Hanover lost his gait entering the stretch, giving Brigitte Bi a clear path to victory in a new lifetime mark of 1:55, with Tequila N Roses 3-1/4 lengths back. The victorious daughter of Yankee Glide ended her year with two consecutive wins over the Philly oval for trainer Juan Cano and owners Timothy Betts and Deerwood Trail Racing LLC.
On the pace, the Panther Hanover gelding Moonlight Shadow had posted two seconds since teaming up with owner/trainer Mark Akins before winning the Friday side-wheeling headliner in 1:52.3 just before the track was upgraded from “good” to “fast.” Simon Allard moved Moonlight Shadow to the lead past a :27.1 quarter, got a breather to a :56.3 half, then opened up distance on the field by going :27 down the backstretch.
That lead gradually shrunk through the lane, but Moonlight Shadow had gone enough and hung in well enough to sustain the lead, defeating Downers Delight, seventh at the half, by a neck, with favoured Laughagain Hanover another half-length back in third.
The 2019 Little Brown Jug winner, Southwind Ozzi, became the sport’s newest millionaire with a powerful 1:50 victory in an $11,200 pace. Laying off a contested :26.3 quarter, the son of Somebeachsomewhere rushed to command before a :54.4 half, held sway to the 1:22.3 three-quarters, then just ran away from his field to boost his earnings to $1,000,649 for trainer Bill MacKenzie and owners Vincent Ali, Jr. and Alma Iafelice. He was one of Tetrick’s 10 victories on the card.
Ron Burke had four winners over the last two cards to bring his yearly local total to 78, enabling him to defend his title as winningest trainer and taking his ninth such championship at the Harrah’s oval.
Siblings Jennifer and Joe Bongiorno won the percentage titles for trainers and drivers, respectively. Jennifer won her second local UTR crown in the most dramatic manner possible: trailing Tony Alagna .466 to .464, Jenn needed her last starter of the meet, Tuesday Morning, to win, second place wouldn’t do. And win the trotter did, giving Jenn a final margin of .467 to .466!
Joe, who drove Tuesday Morning, beat out the all-star driving colony with a .421 UDR, and in doing so became only the fifth driver in the 16-year history at Harrah’s to win a driving title, joining Cat Manzi, Tim Tetrick, George Napolitano, Jr., and Yannick Gingras.
Racing will resume at Harrah’s Philadelphia on April 4, 2022.
(PHHA / Harrah’s Philadelphia)