Four $12,600 headliners for developing younger performers were in the Wednesday (July 14) spotlight at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
On the trot, Ethan T Hanover, a sophomore son of Bar Hopping who is a half-brother to double Breeders Crown winner Emoticon Hanover, went wicked fractions of :27.4, :55.4 and 1:24.2, then drew clear of his opposition late for a 3-3/4-length victory in 1:54.2, beating his old mark by three seconds. Lindys Goin Crazy, who battled gamely close behind the winner most of the mile, edged first-over favourite Magical Muscle Man for second behind the winner of $156,673, who was driven by Kasper Foget for trainer Per Engblom and the partnership of Engblom Stable LLC, Douglas Sipple, and Mal & Janet Burroughs LLC.
In the pace for males, heavy favourite Carbine went to the lead and posted monster fractions of :27, :55 and 1:22. At the latter station, the Betting Line sophomore gelding Imaginary Line hit a higher gear from third and moved to challenge, and after a back-and-forth stretch duel, Imaginary Line got the decision by a neck and set a new mark of 1:50.3. Todd McCarthy guided the Ron Coyne Jr. trainee, who has now won two straight in this class, for Ron Coyne Stable Inc., Blair Corbeil, Mike McAllister, and Edward Pachuta.
The Always B Miki sophomore filly Mikayla, despite having only one race in 39 days, was more than up to her task in a section of the features for filly/mare pacers, moving to the lead in front of the stands for George Brennan and then tacking off twin back splits of :27.4 to be four lengths ahead of Rydia Hanover in 1:52.1. The Pennsylvania Sire Stakes winner, now on a three-race victory skein, is trained by Nik Drennan for Joseph Davino, Brad Shackman, Anthony Perretti Farm LLC and Drennan Stable LLC.
The other cut of the pacing contests for the distaffs saw the Somebeachsomewhere sophomore miss Blonde Onthe Beach circle wide from second over, coming her own last half in :54.3 to be good over a length over pylon-skimming Lyonsosftassilk while dropping a tick off her mark to 1:53.1. Trained by meet leader Ron Burke, Blonde Onthe Beach is owned by Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC along with J&T Silva- Purnel & Libby and RAS Racing LLC.
Thursday brings the first of the 2021 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes (PASS) and Stallion Series action for two-year-olds to Philly, with three divisions of Sire Stakes trotting fillies and four sections of Stallion Series competitors to go in their second preliminary. Both first-round PASS winners, Jazzed and Lake Dora, are in the Sire Stakes, along with Captain Cowgirl, whose 1:52.2 Stallion Series win topped the 1:53s turned in by the aforementioned two. Program pages for the 12:25 Thursday (July 15) action are available.
(PHHA / Harrah's Philadelphia)