The redoubtable Southwind Ozzi won his fourth straight race at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Sunday afternoon (May 15), taking the $22,500 handicap pace in 1:50.
The track’s leading driver, Tim Tetrick, got the six-year-old son of Somebeachsomewhere away third as Peace Out Posse put None Bettor A in behind him to a searing :26 quarter, then had him going again to move to the lead in front of the stands. Fast mid-splits of :54.2 and 1:21.4 did not appear to affect 'Ozzi' at all, as the 2019 Little Brown Jug champ had nobody gaining threateningly on him late. Peace Out Posse saved second from the pocket, three lengths behind and a length ahead of closer Bee Two Bee.
Southwind Ozzi now has won half his 10 seasonal starts and 28 of 71 lifetime purse trips behind the starting gate, good for earnings of $1,057,774. Bill Mac Kenzie is keeping the star pacer in peak form for owners Vincent Ali Jr. and Alma Iafelice.
The Captaintreacherous mare Tempura Hanover has now won four of her last five starts after rocketing through fractions of :27, :55.1 and 1:23 for driver Troy Beyer and then holding off pocket-sitting favourite Brilliant Beauty by 1-1/4 lengths to win Sunday's $15,300 distaff co-feature in 1:51. Trained by Gilbert Garcia-Owen, now at the top of the Philly trainers standings, and owned by his father Gilbert Garcia-Herrera, Tempura Hanover pushed her earnings to $103,828 with the impressive tally.
Tony Morgan was the leading driver on the day with six successes, including a sweep of the late Pick-3 for trainer Chris Temming. Morgan jumped from ninth to being tied for fifth in the early-meet Philly standings.
Harrah’s Philly is now back on its regular racing schedule of Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 12:25 p.m. and Sundays at 12:40 p.m. The track looks forward to Sunday, May 29, with this Sunday before Memorial Day becoming one of the top days of the year at the riverside oval with three $100,000 FFA Invitationals – for trotters, male pacers and female pacers – and this year Pennsylvania Sire Stakes/Stallion Series action for three-year-old pacing fillies as well. Program pages are or will be available on the PHHA website.
(With files from PHHA/Harrah's Philadelphia)