On Friday afternoon, Harrah’s Philadelphia had a pair of pacing events for the highest purse levels offered on the card. And in “sloppy” conditions, the feature winners, regardless of age, sex or classification type, had one thing in common: they all were on or near the lead heading towards the far turn – pacesetters, pocket-sitters and first-overs won 14 of the 14 races Friday.
The top purse was $16,438 for developing distaff horses, with the faster division going to the Luck Be Withyou mare Seven It Is, who took a new mark of 1:52 for driver Jack Pelling, trainer Scott D Domenico and owner Jason Graber. The other section was won by the Sweet Lou sophomore filly Schnapps, who lowered her record to 1:53 for driver Tony Morgan, trainer Nifty Norman and owners Michael Minnella and Enzed Racing Stable Inc.
In a pair of $15,753 high-end claiming contests, the Shadow Play gelding Hes A Ladies Man overpowered his opposition in 1:50.4 for driver Johnathan Ahle (who had the only triple among the local horsemen’s crew), trainer Greg Haverstick and owner Ronald Davis. Frontier Rollo was again sharp in the other claiming division, with the Time To Roll gelding stopping the clock in 1:51 for the hot team of driver Simon Allard and trainer/owner Mark Akins.
The baby filly won faster than did the baby colt, with both breaking their maidens in $15,411 events for trainer Tony Alagna. The Captaintreacherous-Time On My Hands miss Duration was a smart winner in 1:53.1 for driver Dexter Dunn and the partnership of Robert Leblanc, Joe Sbrocco, Pryde Stable Inc., and JAF Racing LLC. Captaintreacherous also sired the male freshman winner, the colt World Beater (dam World Apart), who was alert to win a 1:54.3 mile for driver Todd McCarthy and owner Willow Oak Ranch.
The quicker of the two $15,069 races for fast-class females produced the swiftest feature time of the day and a new mark, 1:50.2, by the game Betterthancheddar mare Talk Curdy For Me, with David Miller handling sulky chores for trainer Jeff Cullipher and owner Pollack Racing LLC. The other fast-class division went to the Sportswriter mare Got Sexy Scars, who was successful in 1:52.3 for driver George Napolitano Jr. and trainer/owner Jared Cooper.
Sunday’s 12:40 p.m. card has a $15,000 USD and a $14,000 USD pace for seasoned speedsters. Macs Delight is the favourite for the higher purse despite the outside post six, while the other group has Sport Secret, the chalk, likely to be challenged by the mare Man Dontforget Me, a rare incursion by a female into a class usually populated by males. Free Philly programs are available at phha.org.
(PHHA / Harrah’s Philadelphia)