Following wins in the Geers Stakes and his first Pennsylvania Sire Stakes preliminary, I Did It Myway ($3.00) ran his career record to a perfect three-for-three with a 1:52.2 score in his $54,020 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes division for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings on Sunday (July 18) at Harrah's Philadelphia.
The son of Captaintreacherous and Flyme To The Moon yielded to Birthday on the first turn before accelerating to clear the lead at the conclusion of a :27.4 first quarter. From that point on, I Did It Myway lived up to his name, travelling unchallenged through middle splits of :57.1 and 1:24.4. Still 1-1/2 lengths in front at the eighth pole, I Did It Myway dug in stoutly to repel a late challenge from pocket rival Birthday by a half length. Threshold finished third, another 5-1/4 lengths behind.
Todd McCarthy drove I Did It Myway for trainer Tony Alagna and the partnership of Country Club Acres, Joe Sbrocco, Don Latore, and Alagna and Fodera Racing.
Night Hawk ($11.80) also kept a perfect record intact, lifting from the pocket to overpower 1-2 favourite JMs Finaltreasure in the $53,620 second division. In line to David Miller, the son of Betting Line and Night Music angled out of the pocket off the home turn and edged 1-1/4 lengths clear of the longtime pacesetter to win in 1:52. Brian Brown trains the two-time winner for William Donovan, Acadia Farms, Joe Sbrocco and In The Gym Partners.
The $54,020 first division saw All The Chips ($18.80) break a string of three second-place finishes in as many starts with a resounding 3-1/2-length win in 1:52.2. Tim Tetrick controlled the terms with the Betting Line-Mastery Blue Chip gelding, rating early splits of :28.1 and :56.4 before using identical :27.4 sectionals in the back half to edge clear of runner-up Atlas Hanover. Cory Mumford trains All The Chips for Frank Chick and James Fleming.
A quintet of $20,000 Stallion Series events for rookie pacing colts and geldings served as supporting events on the 15-race card, with Captain Cowboy's 1:52.3 mile the fastest winner on the lower circuit. Yannick Gingras drove the son of Captaintreacherous and Odds On Lassomyhrt for trainer Åke Svanstedt. David Miller notched a Stallion Series double with Hammering Hank (1:53) and Boardwalk Bet (1:54.4), while Vicious (1:52.4, Dexter Dunn) and Bring The Bling (1:53.4, Tetrick) also won their divisions.
In the afternoon's featured overnight event, a $16,200 top-level conditioned pace, 2019 Little Brown Jug winner Southwind Ozzi earned his third win in his last four starts by way of a dynamic 1:49.2 performance. After rating a :54.3 first half in line to Tetrick, the five-year-old Somebeachsomewhere entire sprinted away up the backstretch as though he was shot out of a cannon, using a :26.3 third quarter to vault to a four-length lead and then preserving most of that margin as Tru Lou rallied off cover to finish a no-match second. Bill MacKenzie trains the 17-time winner for Vincent Ali Jr. and Alma Iafelice.
Tetrick and David Miller shared top honours among drivers with four wins apiece on the 15-race card.
Racing returns to Harrah's Philadelphia on Wednesday (July 21); first post is 12:25 p.m. (EDT).
(Harrah's Philadelphia)