Trainer Tom Fanning, driver Tim Tetrick, and owner Joseph Smith combined to win the two fast-class events during the “Trottin’ Thursday” card at Harrah’s Philadelphia, while a few younger horses showed themselves ready for stakes action with convincing victories.
The top purse event was a $14,400 event taken by the Cantab Hall gelding Mississippi Storm, whom Tetrick put on the lead at the quarter and went on to a handy 1:54 victory, with Morairtime second and favoured Trolley third behind the victorious winner of $315,724 for Fanning and Smith.
In the co-feature, the engine also provided the path to success for the Trixton gelding No Drama Please, who came in for some drama at the three-quarter pole when Perfect Stick made a big uncovered move to draw even, but the pacesetter shook off that one’s challenge to take a new mark of 1:53.2 and boost his bankroll to $242,676 for Team Fanning/Tetrick/Smith.
In a showdown between two quality three-year-old trotters, the filly Shishito made her first start of the year a winning one, heading right to the lead and holding off the outside challenge of the colt Capricornus in 1:53.3. The earner of $246,912 was driven by Dexter Dunn for trainer Per Engblom and the ownership of Black Horse Racing and John Fielding.
Another sophomore trotting filly making a winning bow in 2020 was the Sebastian K miss Next Level Stuff, who tucked early, followed up second-over, then had strong trot in the stretch to stop the timer in 1:54.2 while raising her earnings to $172,255. Tim Tetrick had the winning steer for trainer Jim Campbell and the Runthetable Stables.
The two-year-old pacing fillies made their pari-mutuel bows, and the Roll With Joe – Lorrie Please miss Easy To Please certainly stamped her name in many observer’s memory, holding off the impeccably-bred JK Alwaysbalady (Always B Miki – JK She’salady) easily. The real eye-opener was the timer -- after Easy To Please made the lead and strolled to the half in :59.3, she then blitzed home in :54.4 - :27.1 – in her first purse start – to complete a 1:54.2 package. Allan Davis drove the fast filly for trainer Michael Hall, also co-owner with the CTC Stable and the Our Three Sons Stable LLC.
(PHHA / Harrah’s Philadelphia)