The Donato Hanover gelding Deep Impact, glad to see no Hannelore Hanovers or any other bearcats on the track with him, made two speed moves and went on to an in-control victory in the $17,000 trotting feature at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Thursday, touring the sloppy oval in 1:53.4.
Trainer Åke Svanstedt, who took over conditioning of the winner of more than $225,000 before the campaign, saw his new charge earn a first and a second in the Shiaway St Pat series at The Meadowlands before facing the cream of his division in the Cutler last week. Svanstedt took sulky duty Thursday and sent his charge to the front, briefly yielded then retook in front of the stands, and the pair came home solidly in :56.1 to keep a resilient EI EI O at bay by 1-1/4 lengths for the Van Camp Trotting Corporation.
The 1:53.4 clocking was also achieved by Watkins and driver Brett Miller in the $14,500 trotting co-feature. Looking buried as the fourth-in horse late in the backstretch, Watkins found room to move as the outer tier collapsed, swung wide for the stretch battle and caught favoured Youre Majestic by a half-length. Jack Franklin trains the Striking Sahbra gelding, still going strong at age 11 and with more than $890,000 in the bank, for owner Thomas Ceraso Jr.
Driver Tim Tetrick, after winning five races at Philly on Wednesday, came back with four more triumphs on Thursday, giving him 28 visits to Victory Lane at the riverside oval in May.
(with files from PHHA / Harrah’s Philadelphia)