After finishing one-two 13 days ago at Pocono Downs, Another C Note and Lafitte both came south and promptly won the two featured events on Sunday, April 12 at Harrah’s Philadelphia. Lafitte, second in the Pocono race, stepped up in class on Sunday and won the $19,444 headliner, while Another C Note, who upset at 29-1 on March 30, was in the sub-feature and remained undefeated in two seasonal starts.
Lafitte was in the Pocono event as an eligible-at-time-of-entry after a win, and his bankroll swelled to the point that he had to take a step up. Lafitte still was backed down to 3-5 status on Sunday, and he went quickly to the top for Andrew McCarthy, set a solid pace, then withstood a tough first-over challenge from Lochlan Hanover (Tim Tetrick) by a length in 1:52.3. Captain Luffy (Ridge Warren) was third. The winning four-year-old gelded son of Tall Dark Stranger-Baby Your The Best moved his seasonal record to 3-2-1-0 for trainer Travis Alexander and owner Morrison Racing Stables. He paid $3.40 to win.
Another C Note ($3.80), who posted the big upset at the mountain track, still had the eligibility to race in the $18,750 non-winners-of-five class on Sunday, and he drew off in the final quarter to win by 2-1/2 lengths in 1:53. A sophomore colt by Captaintreacherous-Kate Cant Wait, Another C Note was sent off at 4-5 odds, making him co-favourite with Moneyhill Gb (Tim Tetrick). He yielded to that foe to sit in the two-hole, then vacated that spot on the far turn, and his victory appeared never in doubt through the lane. Heaven Needs Me (Simon Allard) came on for second, followed by Smooch In The Dark (Geovany Hernandez). Joe Bongiorno piloted the winner for trainer Ron Burke and owners Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Let It Ride Stables Inc. and Scott Dillon.
The 12-year-old Shadow Play-Lets Go Cullen gelding Jacks Shadow N made a :27.1 dash in the third quarter to pass pacesetting favourite Spring Blake (Russell Foster), who was coming off four straight wins at Rosecroft, and kept a 1-1/2-length lead to the wire in the $18,055 conditioned handicap pace. Tim Tetrick drove the winner of $547,657 to the 1:51.3 victory for trainer Scott Di Domenico and the ownership of Triple D Stables Inc., Oompa’s Farm Inc. and Robert Mondillo. Jacks Shadow N recorded four wins Down Under before being imported at five, and since coming over he has posted 30 of his 50 Stateside victories at Harrah’s Philly, with at least one victory here in each of the last eight years.
Driver Tetrick, five-time defending dash-winning champion at the riverside oval, added three wins on Sunday to his quadruple on opening day while looking to go wire-to-wire for six straight crowns. Doubling drivers on the 14-race program were Joe Bongiorno, Andrew McCarthy, Patrick Ryder, and Ridge Warren. Ryder's wins came for his father, trainer Chris Ryder, the only conditioner to double.
Philly’s next betting card comes on “Trottin’ Thursday” at 12:25 p.m., with fast diamondgaiters in the $16,000 USD feature, but the Tuesday qualifiers at 9:30 a.m. will be watched by many as stakes three-year-olds are putting the final touches on their preparations for the stakes season just around the corner.
(With files from PHHA/Harrah's Philadelphia; photo of Another C Note winning on March 30)