Camera Man got his picture taken in the Harrah’s Philadelphia winner's circle after he reduced his mark to 1:55.2 in the featured $16,438 conditioned trot at the riverside oval on Sunday, June 8.
The three-year-old Six Pack-Cameron Hill colt was sent frontward by driver George Napolitano Jr., with the second choice making the lead in a :28.3 quarter and then getting a breather to the half in :58.3 – likely a decisive factor, as heavy favourite The Rogue Prince was far back much of the way in his seasonal debut.
Napolitano increased the speed with the Åke Svanstedt-trained and owned Camera Man and hit the three-quarters in 1:27.1, then still had a :28.1 last quarter to maintain the advantage to the wire. The Rogue Prince unleashed furious trot after losing unhelpful cover and blitzed home in :55.4 and :27.2 to miss by a length while photoing out 21-1 pocket-sitter Durant Hanover for the deuce.
Bettor Not Talk, double-looped out of the gate in a $15,068 pace, pressed on two-wide past a :27.4 quarter, made the lead in front of the stands, then passed the mid-poles in :56 and 1:23.2 en route to a solid 1:50.3 victory. The win by the seven-year-old Betting Line-Talk Time gelding owned by Allen Wenc was the third successful collaboration of the day between the meet’s leading driver, Tim Tetrick, and the 2025 top trainer, Scott Di Domenico. Tetrick wound up with five success stories for the day and 12 for the local three-day week.
In the co-feature for the track’s top claiming handicap pacers, the Somebeachsomewhere-Her Music Rocks gelding Hervey Hanover could wait in third until late in the backstretch to begin a charge frontward, but after splits of :26.4, :54.4 and 1:22.3, 'Hervey' proved to be the strongest on the way home, winning easily in 1:51 for driver Andy Miller. Per Engblom trained the winner for owner Daniel Sarafian, but Hervey Hanover will be changing barns after being haltered for $27,397.
The next card at Philly is on “Trottin’ Thursday,” which will feature $14,000 USD and $13,500 USD races for developing horses and a $13,000 USD handicap contest for the fast-class set.
(With files from PHHA/Harrah's Philadelphia)