The up-and-coming younger performers attracted the Friday spotlight at Harrah’s Philadelphia, ahead of two consecutive cards with Pennsylvania Sire Stakes races for two-year-olds, with three $12,600 events for the various classifications.
The Somebeachsomewhere sophomore colt Literl Lad Hanover, a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes winner earlier this year, got back on the winning track with a lifetime mark of 1:50.4 going wire-to-wire against the pacing males. Driver George Napolitano, Jr. put the three-year-old quickly on the lead and hung up splits of :27.1, :55.3, and 1:22.3 while boosting his lifetime earnings to $172,611 for the meet’s leading trainer, Ron Burke, and the partnership of Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC, J&T Silva- Purnel & Libby, and Wingfield Five LLC.
Somebeachsomewhere sophomores made a sweep of the pacing features, as Viva La Deo surrendered early command to Captainandtelly just past a :27.1 initial split, waited behind her through middle fractions of :56.1, and 1:23.4, then paced on by nicely to lower her mark to 1:52.2. Todd McCarthy guided the filly to victory in the headliner for distaffs for trainer Luc Blais and owner Determination.
In the trotting feature, the Explosive Matter gelding Boom City had a lifetime scorecard of 39-1-11-8, but in his second start for trainer Joe Karrat, Boom City was ready to make some noise, lowering his mark by nearly six seconds to 1:55.2. George Napolitano, Jr. positioned the Joseph Riad-owned winner behind heavy favourite College Tuition as that one rang up fractions of :27.4, :58, and 1:26.4, and the elusive winners circle was well within the power of Boom City today as he powered right on by.
Temptation Eyes broke her maiden in a spectacular way by catching pacesetter Fasterthanarumor in 1:55.3 and returning $101.00 to win for driver Mike Cole, trainer Eli Scott, Jr., and Chesapeake Equine Clinic Inc. Since June the 6th, Philly has had six horses pay $100 or more – and four of them came during the track’s Late Double (races thirteen and fourteen)
Sunday finds the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes / Stallion Series two-year-old colt pacers coming to town for their second preliminary round. All three PaSS first round winners will be here, Night Hawk and Wearinmysixshooter starting from post one and two in the sixth race and I Did It Myway in the tenth. There will be five divisions of the Stallion Series action, giving the fans a good look at horses they will see again on Sunday, September 5 in their Stallion Series Championships here.
There will also be carryovers into the first Pick 3, Pick 4, and Super Hi-5 wagers on the card.
To obtain program pages for the 12:40 p.m. card click here.
(PHHA / Harrah’s Philadelphia)