After heat and then thunderstorms all but shut down the last two “Trottin’ Thursdays” at Harrah’s Philadelphia, on Thursday afternoon (July 16) the conditions, while still hot, allowed for the races to go on, with some excellent performances highlighting the day.
The Sebastian K S gelding Benjamin Hanover had had to settle for second behind Ari Ferrari J in the last two $22,535e fast-class handicap trots at the riverside oval, but on Thursday he was able to parlay a pocket trip into a 1:52 victory for his 34th victory in 71 career starts. Ari Ferrari J, handicapped outside in the seven-horse field, had to work to a :27.2 quarter to wrest command from “Benjamin,” but after middle splits of :56.3 and 1:24.2 the latter was right-lined by Philly’s top driver Tim Tetrick on the far turn, and in a good stretch battle used the two-hole trip as a springboard to victory. Benjamin Hanover came his own last fraction in :27.2 to defeat Ari Ferrari J by 1-1/4 lengths for trainer Scott Di Domenico and owner Angela Cornell.
Goo For Broke, a Googoo Gaagaa mare who had been producing good closing rallies, switched things up in the $18,310 fast-class co-feature, going away quickly to get the lead, yielding to favoured Kierkegaard S, then utilizing the Pocono Pike to defeat the chalk in 1:53 by a half length, with first-over Arrowhead Hanover just another neck back. Andrew McCarthy guided the winner for trainer Per Engblom and owner Timothy Betts.
The Tactical Landing trotting colt Southwind Alamo had had open-length wins in his 2026 overnight races – otherwise he had been facing such stars as Apex, Diabolic Hill, and American Power and was not out of place. Leaving that powerful crowd behind for a spot in a $19,718 trot for developing horses, Southwind Alamo sat behind fractions of :27.2 and :55.3, steamed up uncovered before the 1:23.4 three quarters, then called his own margin late in 1:52, coming home in :55 for a new mark and missing by a tick the 2023 divisional track record effort of French Wine. Johnathan Ahle handled the powerhouse diamondgaiter, who is trained by Ron Coyne Jr. and who is owned by Coyne & Pachuta Stable, Blair Corbeil, Richard Carney, and Mike McAllister.
Virtually all of the connections of Southwind Alamo are also the braintrust behind the filly Abbey Blue Chip, who was the odds-on pacesetter in the $19,014 subfeature for up-and-comers. But being a grinch and spoiling that double was the gelding Cindy Loo Goo, who pounced from the pocket and lowered her mark to 1:53.1 with a 1-1/4 length triumph over the crowd’s choice. The same team that engineered the upset in the subfeature fast-class event also combined in this subfeature -- driver Andrew McCarthy. trainer Per Engblom, owner Timothy Betts, and sire Googoo Gaagaa; Shanamphilankilou Inc. is also a co-owner of Cindy Lou Goo.
The team of McCarthy and Engblom took the horsepersons’ crowns for the day. McCarthy had the lines behind five winners, three of which came from the Engblom barn; Andrew’s other two were for Nicklas Andersen. Tim Tetrick had three victories, and meet leader teamed with meet leader as Tetrick got home one of Joe Bongiorno’s two training victories. Simon Allard also had a sulky double.
Friday’s (July 17) feature at Philly is for fillies and mares, topped by a $13,000 USD fast-class event for pacing distaffs.
(PHHA / Harrah's Philadelphia; photo of Benjamin Hanover from a previous win on February 10)