Hayek continued his winning ways on Thursday (June 30) at Harrah’s Philadelphia, leading home a $22,500 handicap trot field with earnings of more than $7 million while equalling his best clocking of 1:52.3.
Yannick Gingras left well with the five-year-old son of E L Titan, was in front at the :27 quarter, then yielded to Scirocco Rob and followed that one as he put up mid-fractions of :55.2 and 1:24. Favoured Amigo Volo came storming up late in the backstretch and went to command on the far turn, with Gingras backing Hayek out to follow the new leader. In the stretch, Hayek proved the stronger competitor by a neck, with Scirocco Rob another 1-/14 lengths back in third. The win was Hayek's fourth in a row at Philly. Per Engblom trains the talented trotter for the ownership of Evan Katz, David Rovine Stable and Frank Canzone as the Canadian half-mile track record holder boosted his career earnings to $422,743.
The Explosive Matter gelding Baldaquin doesn’t get to the races that much, but when he does, he certainly maximizes his opportunities. In the $15,300 co-featured trot, he was making his bow as a six-year-old (he hadn’t started since December 30) and going to the gate for only the 27th time in his career, but Baldaquin was certainly ready for his foes. The winner raced behind cover as favoured Infinity Stone set fractions of :28, :56.4 and 1:25.2 then picked up the leader and left him three-quarters of a length behind. Baldaquin equalled his mark of 1:54.1 while trotting his own back half in :56 under the guidance of David Miller for trainer Louise Pepin, co-owner with Steven Bryden. Their trotter’s lifetime tally now reads 27-12-7-5 with $123,032 in earnings.
Drivers Yannick Gingras, Todd McCarthy and Yannick Gingras, and trainer Per Engblom all had triples on the Thursday card at Philly.
Racing at Harrah’s Philly will commence at 12:25 p.m. on Friday and 12:40 p.m. on Sunday. The Sunday action will feature more than $190,000 worth of Pennsylvania Sire Stakes and Stallion Series action for three-year-old trotting colts. The only double winner in either sector to date is the Sire Stakes competitor, Dandy, who will have to overcome the outside post seven in his division.
(With files from Harrah's Philadelphia/PHHA)