A pair of U.S. Hall Of Fame horsemen, driver David Miller and trainer Joe Holloway, combined with the Sebastian K S gelding Benjamin Hanover, who showed up at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Thursday afternoon, April 18 ready to go and promptly looked very strong while winning the $18,493 top-purse trot of the day in a lifetime best 1:52.3.
Miller guided the late-blooming four-year-old, now nine-for-15 in his career, to the lead nearing a :27.3 and dominated with middle fractions of :56.1 and 1:24.3 before striding home 5 3/4 lengths to the good. Better things look in the offing for the winner, who is owned by Sarah Andrews, Angela Cornell and Jarod Miller.
Double millionaire Crystal Fashion combined with another U.S. Hall Of Famer, driver Tim Tetrick, and made the most of a pocket trip to win the $17,808 fast-class trotting feature in 1:54.1. The Cantab Hall nine-year-old gelding, now with $2.4 million on his lifetime card, trailed pacesetting favourite Robbie Pev through fractions of :27.3, :56.2 and 1:25.2 then moved outside headstretch and triumphed by a length for trainer Chuck Crissman Jr. and EVM Racing LLC.
Three-time defending driving champion Tetrick won four races on the afternoon; two of them were for Crissman, the only conditioner to have a double.
Distaff pacers will be featured on the 12:25 p.m. Friday afternoon card at Philly, and in the same format as used for the trotters the day before: there will be a $13,500 USD contest for developing younger horses and a $13,000 USD event for the fast-class female set. Philly programs are available at phha.org.
(With filess from PHHA/Harrah’s Philadelphia)