Driver Andrew McCarthy picked up his 3,000th North American driving victory at a soggy Harrah’s Philadelphia on Saturday (May 7) in his last drive before heading to northern New Jersey for nighttime activities.
The 36-year-old McCarthy, who has driven the winners of nearly $63 million since shifting his operations to North America, scored four times on the windswept Saturday card, including the milestone maker behind Wager On Me. That pacer overcame the outside post eight and interference early on the second turn, going up second-over behind favoured King James Express and then getting by that one late, winning in 1:52.4 for trainer Joseph Columbo and George & Tina Dennis Racing while undoubtedly making Andy’s long trek northward a bit more pleasant.
A pair of $12,600 paces for developing horses highlighted the overnight action. In the event for males, McCarthy kept the American Ideal sophomore gelding Twin B Deluxe out of contentious early fractions (:28.4, :57.3, 1:26.1), then paced home in 1:54.4 to defeat Ripplesonthebeach by 1-1/4 lengths for victory 2999. Andrew Harris trains the winner, who equaled a clocking he posted in a qualifier last year, for Michael Goldberg Racing LLC and A Harris Racing LLC.
The division for females went to the Racing Hill mare She Knows It All, who sat third off fractions of :28.4, :57.1, and 1:26.3, then was tipped wide by driver Pat Berry and defeated pocket-sitting Miss Major Hunt by a half-length in 1:55.2. Scott Di Domenico trains the winner of $211,250 for Foulk Stables Inc. and Triple D Stables Inc.
An $11,200 fast-class pace saw Cant Beach That, a half-brother to 2021 U.S. Horse of the Year Test Of Faith, move to the lead past a :27.2 opener and then show his heels to the field under the handling of Allan Davis as the timer went on to read :55.4, 1:24.1, and 1:52.1. The winner of two straight, trained by Michael Hall for Surprise Pic LLC, now has career earnings of $309,514.
The Bar Hopping colt S I P, a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes champion at two, made his sophomore debut a successful one, fronting his field throughout splits of :29.3, :57.4 and 1:26.4 while posting a 1:56 victory in a $9,900 trot. Now a winner of $267,632, S I P was driven by Andrew McCarthy for trainer Ron Burke and the ownership of Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Hatfield Stables, and Brixton Medical Inc.
Driver Kevin Hankins, no longer a full-time trainer-driver but still keeping his hand in with the horses, made a rare sulky appearance and won Saturday’s first race with Beach Boogie in 1:53 for owner/trainer Mark Akins. It was the first visit to Victory Lane behind a horse for Hankins since winning with Daka An Derby at Garden State Park on December 3, 1999 – almost 22 1/2 years ago. (It was Kevin’s 300th USTA win, and they had a sign prepared -– a sign which, in altered form, came in handy later in the card.)
Sunday’s 12:40 card is headlined by a $22,500 handicap pace with the likes of J M Mandamin and Joesstar Of Mia A. After that program, Harrah’s next racing will be on Wednesday at 12:25, with the first appearance of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes horses, featuring three-year-old trotting fillies. On that day the track starts its usual four-day racing week of Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday. Program pages are or will be available at the PHHA website.
(PHHA / Harrah's Philadelphia)