Three of the five two-year-old pacing fillies who won during Tuesday qualifiers at Harrah’s Philadelphia were very closely linked: driver Montrell Teague, trainer Clyde Francis, owner George Teague Jr., and first-crop sire Lather Up (pictured above).
The fastest of the trio of triumphant Team Teague horses, Kamala, has another family link: his dam, Mozzi Minaj, is a full sister to the multiple world champion Wiggle It Jiggleit. Kamala went wire-to-wire in 1:56.3, with back fractions of :57.2 and :28.1.
The other two fillies in the Team Teague winning arsenal were The Future Is Here (dam Future Destiny) in 1:57.1 and Itsonlyupfromhere (dam Enniskerry) in 1:57.2.
These three were joined in the Lather Up winners column by the gelding Hundred Dollar Man (dam What The Girl), who won in 1:55 in his first charted line last week and then here came from far back to win in 2:00.1 with back fractions of :57 and :27.1 for owner/trainer Brenda Teague, George’s sister and Montrell's aunt.
On the pacing male side, the Huntsville-Gigi Deo gelding Hunt Or Be Hunted tied as fastest two-year-old of the day with a 1:56.3 triumph, an engine score with :56.4 and :28 back numbers for driver Andrew McCarthy, trainer Jamie Sullivan and owner Frank Chick.
A filly was fastest freshman of the day on the trotting gait, with the first-crop sire Greenshoe and Hollywood Hill producing Green Fee, who rushed to the lead down the back and won in 2:01 with back fractions of :58.3 and :29 for driver Yannick Gingras, trainer Nancy Takter and the partnership of Christina Takter, Michael Falk and Suleyman Yuksel Stable Inc.
The What The Hill-Oh Maybelline colt Deville Hill made a move at the quarter, rushed to the lead, then stepped home in :28.2 to complete a 2:02 mile to best his contemporaries’ winning times on the day. Dexter Dunn drove for trainer Paul Stafford and owner Thomas Ceraso Jr.
(With files from PHHA/Harrah’s Philadelphia)