Six foes couldn’t defeat Mr Bluebird in the $19,178 featured conditioned trot at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Thursday, June 12, but his own decorum did.
On a line on the turns, he went inside three consecutive pylons late on the final bend while well ahead, and although clear under the wire in 1:53.4, the violation, under Pennsylvania rules, caused him to be moved from first to seventh/last, elevating 13-1 shot Mohatu As to the top spot. It became one of six wins for driver Andrew McCarthy on the 14-race card.
Mr Bluebird, driven by Ake Svanstedt, made the lead despite the outside post seven and put up early fractions of :27.4 and :57. He then sped up to hit the three-quarters in 1:24.4, racing well clear of his foes almost all the way to the wire. Mohatu As, a son of Lionhunter-Cassandra As, was kept third-in by McCarthy, and scooted up the inside to be along for what looked originally second, but turned out to be the winning spot for trainer Anette Lorentzon and owner ACL Stuteri AB. Mohatu As was timed in 1:54.1, which equals his lifetime mark.
Excalibur Bi, who had spent a good bit of time on the sidelines and hadn’t won a race in 705 days, rewarded the faith placed in him by Team Cancelliere – trainer Tom and owner John – by utilizing pole position to maximum advantage and winning the $18,493 co-feature in 1:55. The five-year-old son of Muscle Hill-Vita Bella Bi blasted away for McCarthy, chalking up another feature win, to control the pace through fractions of :29, :58.4, and 1:27. He then finished out in :28 to win over the first-up Modigliani S (Todd McCarthy) by 2-3/4 lengths while looking like he could go more.
Yonkers shipper Black Magic, a son of Full Count-Glisten Hanover, went to the top mid-first turn and held on to the wire against a good group in the $17,808 fast-class handicap trot, clocked in 1:53. David Miller sent the 15-1 shot to the lead well before the :27.3 quarter, backed the half off to :57, then had twin :28 panels coming home to hold off the cavalry. The 19-1 All Wrapped Up (Todd McCarthy), shuffled back and still fifth to midstretch, finished furiously on the outside to be second, a half-length behind the winner and a neck ahead of Eteria IT (Svanstedt), making her United States debut and mounting her bid inside. Black Magic is trained by Linda Toscano for owners Richard Gutnick and Thomas Pontone.
The drivers winning the featured races also had the best overall days – Andrew McCarthy had six winners, and David Miller three (at one point they captured eight straight between the two of them). Per Engblom was the only trainer on the day to double – one driven by Andrew and one driven by his brother Todd.
Racing continues at the riverside oval Friday, June 13 with a 12:25 p.m. post for a card that will feature fast distaff pacers, as well as a carryover into the fifth-race Pick 5 pool; the racing week will then conclude on Sunday at 12:40 p.m.
(With files from PHHA/Harrah's Philadelphia)