Seventier trotted to a new mark of 1:53.2 while winning his third consecutive race in a co-featured $12,600 conditioned event for developing horses on Wednesday (June 16) at Harrah's Philadelphia.
The competition was certainly tough: Two horses other than Seventier — Pennsylvania Stallion Series winners A Hopeful Prayer and Samedame Life AS – but they had to settle for second and third respectively behind Seventier, who had the biggest winning margin of all the feature winners, 2-3/4 lengths. The late-blooming Chapter Seven gelding trotted his back half in :56.2 for driver Dexter Dunn, trainer Trond Smedshammer and Purple Haze Stables LLC.
The other trot headliner had the shortest winning margin of the marquee races, with the Conway Hill filly You Make It Easy putting a nose up on pacesetter Lindys Goin Crazy in 1:56.2 for driver Tim Tetrick, trainer Anette Lorentzon and partners ACL Stuteri AB and Ted Gewertz.
Both top events for male pacers were decided by a half length. The faster winner was the Somebeachsomewhere colt Stonebridge Reef, well-prepared by trainer Chris Ryder off a 31-day layoff to turn back Sweet Angel Boy in a new mark of 1:51.4. Stonebridge Reef, who missed Literl Lad Hanover by a head in a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes race a few weeks back, was driven by Dexter Dunn for Ryder, who shares ownership with Craig Henderson, Oompa’s Farm Inc. and Robert Mondillo.
Earlier, another son of Somebeachsomewhere, the gelding Forefather, overcame a rough journey first-up to prevail over favoured A Fearsome Hanover in 1:52.2. Todd McCarthy guided the Brett Pelling trainee for 3 Brothers Stables and Caviart Farms.
The quicker of the featured distaff pacers was yet another Somebeachsomewhere offspring, Beach Crazy, who split horses late to put a neck up on Chase Lounge while lowering her mark over three seconds to 1:52. Andy McCarthy drove the winner for trainer Stacy Chiodo and the partnership of Chiodo Racing LLC, Jeffrey Shore and Robert Barr.
Yannick Gingras, who had four consecutive victories on the card, guided the Betting Line miss Extrilla Hanover to a 1:53 triumph in the other distaff headliner, 1-1/2 lengths to the good of Shezafreaklikeme for trainer Ron Burke and owners Howard Taylor, Brad Grant and Steve Heimbecker.
Lindy The Great and Scirocco Rob will be coming to Philly Thursday (June 17) for the $16,200 featured handicap trot, but they’ll have to surmount the outermost post positions in the field of eight. Post time is 12:25 p.m.; program pages are available at the PHHA website.
(PHHA/Harrah's Philadelphia)