There have probably been very few cards in harness racing history that have seen eight trotters win in 1:55 or less, but such a card took place during the “Trottin’ Thursday” program at Harrah’s Philadelphia on July 11.
The feature on the day was the $20,548 fast-class handicap trot, where Eurobond went to the early leader and was in the clear much of the way during fractions of :27.1, :57 and 1:24.1. But the opposition grew closer around the final bend, and when trying to respond to these challenges, Eurobond lost his gait. Stable Genius, who had come uncovered from third midway down the backstretch to challenge, took over the lead and kept it to the wire, where he was three-quarters of a length ahead of Sinatra De Vie at the end of the 1:53 mile. Todd McCarthy drove the altered son of Muscle Mass to his second straight win for trainer Jeff Cullipher and owner Pollack Racing LLC.
The fast-class sub-feature, worth $17,333, went faster than that, as Donato Patriot K won his third straight race, tying his mark of 1:52.3 on the engine. And the $15,068 third-level trot went faster still, with Outside The Fire rallying from the two-hole to equal his mark of 1:52.2.
The second-highest purse of the day was $18,493, for a race featuring developing trotters. It was taken by the Greenshoe sophomore gelding Smart Schooner, a breaker in his previous four starts over the last two campaigns but today on his best behaviour as he too matched his mark, 1:53.2, for driver Andrew McCarthy, newly-installed U.S. Hall Of Fame trainer Jim Campbell, and Fashion Farms LLC.
Also jumping on the speed bandwagon for the diamond gait were Common Parlance (1:53.3, a new mark), the $2 million+ winner Crystal Fashion (1:54.3), Son Of Sona (1:54.4) and Cocktailwithakick (1:55 to equal her mark).
Corey Callahan, Todd McCarthy and Tim Tetrick all had driving triples on the afternoon.
There’s the promise of even more speed, only on the pacing side, at Philly this weekend. Friday’s 12:25 p.m. program has two divisions of a $12,000 USD feature for side-wheeling females, plus three other classes that each drew a pair of sections. Sunday has high-class performers looking to lower or threaten their own marks in events for purses of $14,000 USD or more.
(PHHA / Harrah’s Philadelphia)