The sophomore Captaintreacherous gelding Captain Hansen continues to enjoy life under the shedrow of trainer Eric Ell, covering the mile in a lifetime best 1:49.4 to win the $16,438 featured pace at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Wednesday, July 10 afternoon.
Purchased on June 18 by Ken Wood, William Dittmar Jr. and Stephen Iaquinta, Captain Hansen spent most of the mile in third as first Armada Hanover and then favoured On Time Delivery set fractions of :27, :55 and 1:22.4. David Miller, a four-time winner on the day, got the three-year-old in high gear approaching the lattermost station, quickly raced him to the top, and finished out in :27 to win by six lengths for his new connections.
Three $15,411 contests for two-year-old pacers were the co-features, with all three taken by babies making their purse bows. The fastest was the Stay Hungry-Bootleg Yankee filly Beyonsay Yankee, who moved to the lead early then powered home in :27.3 to win in 1:53.4 for Tim Tetrick, the meet’s leading driver who himself had three victories on the day, trainer Nifty Norman and Yankeeland Partners LLP.
Norman and Yankeeland would come back with the other winner in the freshman filly sector, the Tall Dark Stranger-A Beach Cowgirl distaff Beckoning Yankee, who rallied from the pocket while pacing her own back half in identical :28.1 quarters to stop the timer in 1:54.4. Yankeeland co-owns the Andrew McCarthy-driven winner with Pinske Stables and Lawrence Means.
On the male side of the division, the Papi Ron Hanover-Lifetime Trust gelding Im The One zipped right to the top from the outside post eight and lived up to his name in a wire-to-wire 1:54.2 success, covering his back half in :56.1 and :28. Jack Pelling drove for his father, trainer Brett Pelling, and the partnership of Let It Ride Stables Inc., Odds On Racing and Enviro Stable Ltd.
Harrah’s Philly offered a $25,000 guaranteed pool for its Pick-5 wager after a double carryover, and bettors flocked to the opportunity for “free money” to easily better the guarantee. Despite the presence of 37-1 spoiler Lathsha winning in a middle race, a handful of successful investors collected $7016.05 on a 50-cent ticket containing the winning 4/8/5/6/6 official first-place finishers.
“Trottin’ Thursdays” will again live up to their name on the next 12:25 p.m. card at Philly, with 10 of 14 races for diamond-gaited Standardbreds, including the featured $15,000 USD fast-class handicap.
(PHHA / Harrah's Philadelphia)