Skippin By drew clear of a tough field for the second straight week, winning the $14,500 distaff pacing feature at Harrah’s Philadelphia Friday afternoon in 1:51.2.
Brett Miller, a winner in four of the card’s first eight races, made the early lead with the daughter of Shadow Play, then yielded to Juslikeaqueen and was content to draft in behind through fractions of :26.3, :55.4, and 1:23.1. Turning for home driver Miller tugged on the left line, and Skippin By went to the passing lane and powered by easily for a two length tally over the pacesetter. Nick Surick conditions the winner of more than $850,000 for Cornerstock Stock Farm.
A horse named after a phrase in the famous soliloquy of Shakespeare’s Hamlet (III, i, 3) made more than a few Philly bettors melancholy as Outrageous Fortune, with only one third in 15 previous career starts, came up the inside for Eric Carlson to generate a $102.80 win payoff in the fourth race. Among the beaten field was Quantum Kemp -- the full-brother to Hambletonian winner Trixton -- who got going belatedly and finished fourth, though beaten only a half-length. Philly has now had seven horses pay $50 or more at the meet – but four of that seven have rung up the mutuels to the tune of $100 or more.
Corey Callahan won races 12 and 13 to tie Brett Miller with four wins on the card, but then Miller won the 14th and last race to raise his day's total to five.
FINISHING LINES – Harrah’s Philadelphia will have a special live card on Belmont Saturday at 12:40 p.m., and while much of the racing world awaits whether Justify can stretch out over that race’s demanding 1-1/2 miles, the emphasis at Philly will go in the other direction: there is a 5/8 mile dash for trotters carded, with an eye towards the 1:09 world record for the short distance set at Pompano.
(PHHA / Harrah’s Philadelphia)