Blacklight and Bring The Thunder — both sons of Somebeachsomewhere — captured their respective co-featured $14,000 pacing events on Wednesday afternoon (June 5) at Harrah's Philadelphia.
Bring The Thunder may have started his career with 14 defeats, but he has since won two straight, taking a new mark of 1:52 in one of the features. Driver Dexter Dunn sent Bring The Thunder around early leader Scirocco Mistysaid off the first turn, and then the pair posted a :55.1 back half to hold off a late bid from Scirocco Mistysaid by three-quarters of a length.
Trainer Chris Ryder co-owns Bring The Thunder with Robert Mondillo and Max Wernick.
In the other featured event, Tim Tetrick yielded with Blacklight for a two-hole trip behind favoured Chaser Hanover before rallying late to win by a length in 1:53.2 for trainer Per Engblom and Diamond Creek Racing.
Blacklight has royal parentage apart from his sire: he is the first foal out of champion mare I Luv The Nitelife.
A pair of $12,500 paces served as sub-features on the card. In the first event, George Napolitano Jr., a four-time winner on Wednesday, worked out a pocket trip for Travis Kolacynski trainee Kept Under Wraps in a contentious mile. After the smoke cleared at head-stretch, Napolitano sent him through on the inside and recorded a three-quarter length victory over favoured Chumlee A in 1:52.1.
In the other sub-feature division, Imstayinalive tipped wide off cover past the midpoint of the far turn and closed to catch pacesetter Control Tower by a half length. Pat Berry rallied the son of American Ideal to the 1:51.2 victory, his first of the season for trainer Pat Lachance and the partnership of Lachance Racing Stable and Dan Mogridge.
(with files from Harrah's Philadelphia)