A Rocknroll Star has certainly become a pacing star in the Mid-Atlantic area, as the altered son of A Rocknroll Dance (still the local track recordholder for sophomores) took a lifetime mark of 1:50.2 while winning his seventh straight race in the $20,000 Open Handicap on Friday (May 5) at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
The recent form of A Rocknroll Star did not frighten horses away from leaving inside him (he was assigned the outside in the field of six) – first Komodo Beach got the top, then Carbine took over nearing the midpoint on the first turn, with the streaking winner gradually working his way up to the lead for driver Marcus Miller in :26.1. Midsplits of :54.4 and 1:23 would usually not be called “breathers,” but they are mild fractions for this caliber of horses, and A Rocknroll Star drew clear in upper stretch. Carbine was back a length, with Komodo Beach another neck back in third.
The Robert Cleary trainee, owned by Joseph and Vincent Barbera, had won three straight races before adding Lasix on April 8, and this was his fourth straight win since starting the medication. A Rocknroll Star has already earned $83,270 this year while climbing the class ladder.
In the $20,000 Open Handicap Pace for distaffs, all the favourites got into a big battle for forward positioning through most of the mile with the unusual Philly result of the two longest shots on the board — Rockn Philly (9-1) and Dresden (25-1) — coming home off cover. Completing a sweep of the Open paces for sire A Rocknroll Dance, Rockn Philly held off her opponent by a length in 1:51. The winner was driven by Andrew McCarthy for trainer Noel Daley and Morrison Racing Stables while raising her lifetime earnings to $616,926.
Simon Allard won the last race of the day to top the drivers colony with three wins, including two for trainer Ron Burke.
Harrah’s Philadelphia will present a special live card of harness racing on Saturday, beginning at 12:40 p.m. There will also be racing on Sunday at 12:40 p.m., headlined by a $20,000 Open Trot. Program pages for all Philly cards will be available on the PHHA website.
(PHHA / Harrah's Philadelphia)