Driver Mark Herschberger captured both featured races on Sunday, May 11, at Harrah’s Philadelphia, taking two very different paths to victory as he climbed into the track's top 10 driver rankings.
In the $18,750 feature for up-and-coming pacers, the rising Herschberger bided his time at the back of a compact field with Captain Marvel, a Captaintreacherous-Modesty gelding. He launched a three-wide move off a second-over trip to chase down front-runner Easy Lou, who had carved out fractions of :26.4, :55.4 and 1:24.1. But Captain Marvel stormed home with matching final quarters of :27.3, surging late to win by a nose in a lifetime-best 1:52.1. Michael Posner trains the winner for owner Jeffrey Dauplaise.
In the $18,056 pace for the fast-class crew, favoured Soaring Now drifted outside mid-pack early, then rushed up past a :26.4 quarter to take over. After rating middle splits of :55.1 and 1:23.1, the JK Endofanera-Sunflower gelding sprinted home in :27.2 to complete a 1:50.3 mile. Trained by Robert Cleary, who boasts a 36 per cent seasonal win average, Soaring Now was coming off a 1:48.3 score at The Meadowlands. He races for owners Kenneth Jacobs and David Reid.
Four-time defending Philly driving champ Tim Tetrick notched a hat trick on the card, two of those wins coming for trainer Scott Di Domenico. Simon Allard also recorded three victories, including the finale with a horse conditioned by Izzy Estrada.
Anthony Verruso scored in an American Harness Drivers Club pace with Louis Litt N stopping the clock in 1:53.3 for trainer Juan Cano and owners Nancy Grbelja and Cano Racing Stable.
Live harness racing continues at Harrah’s Philadelphia this Thursday, May 15 and Friday, May 16, both with 12:25 p.m. post times, and Sunday, May 18 at 12:40 p.m. The track’s marquee event, Super Sunday, will take place May 25, featuring $100,000 USD Invitationals for trotters, male pacers and female pacers, along with Pennsylvania Sire Stakes and Stallion Series races for the “glamour division” — three-year-old pacing colts.
(With files from PHHA/Harrah’s Philadelphia & AHDC)