Pennsylvania-sired sophomore trotting colts visited Harrah’s Philadelphia on Friday afternoon, July 19 for their third preliminary state-sired rounds, with two $97,489 Sire Stakes divisions captured by a pair of 5-1 shots, each stopping the timer in 1:53.
The Greenshoe colt Supernova Hanover dropped four seconds from his mark in winning for driver Todd McCarthy, trainer Per Engblom and owners Engblom Stable, Douglas Sipple and the Mal & Janet Burroughs LLC of the new U.S. Hall Of Famer. Supernova Hanover got the ride in the golden chair as favoured Luke The Spook and Greenspan duelled during a :27 third quarter, then cleared and moved out in the stretch to catch the chalk by a half-length, gaining in the :55 back half.
It was again pacesetter and pocket-sitter in the second Sire Stakes division, but this time it was the pacesetter, the Bar Hopping gelding Usain Hanover, who prevailed, holding off the longest shot on the board, Ordained, by a neck while covering his last half in :55.4. David Miller drove the Nifty Norman pupil for Enzed Racing Stable Inc.
David Miller and sire Greenshoe picked up stakes doubles when they paired on the fastest of three winners in $27,397 Stallion Series divisions, the 1:54 mile of Going Green, with the gelding reducing his lifetime best by four and one-fifth seconds. Going Green did hard work uncovered to make the lead, then held off the rival at his back, Green Pastures, by a length for trainer Jenny Melander and the partnership of Melander Racing Inc., Clark Stables LLC and Noonan Harness Racing LLC.
Splendid has now won three Stallion Series races among his seven-race winning streak, on Friday putting up a time of 1:56 for driver Chris Lems, trainer Todd Rooney and owners Rooney Racing and Trotting For Bourbon. The Father Patrick colt was in the two-hole when pacesetter Loxahatchee lost stride turning for home, and had the largest lead at the wire among today’s stakes horses, 1-1/4 lengths over Bird And Grenade.
The International Moni gelding Sainthood has now won his last two starts, here overcoming the outside post eight to take his Stallion Series cut in 1:55.4. Sainthood set the pace then withstood Takemetochurch Deo by a neck for driver George Napolitano Jr., trainer Joe Pavia Jr., and Bay Pond Racing Stable.
Twenty-one-year-old Carter Dalgety made his first driving day in the United States a memorable one by guiding 11-1 shot Handlelikeaporsche to a 1:51.1 win in the day’s final race. The New Zealander, whose father Cran served as a mentor to the younger Dexter Dunn, is imitating Dunn's brief trip to North America few years ago to sample the racing life, and Dalgety may come back permanently in a bit; if he does, he could have an “in” with the many Down Under trainers on the East Coast, such as U.S. Hall Of Fame ballot candidate Chris Ryder, the trainer of Handlelikeporsche.
Driver Simon Allard and trainer/owner Mark Akins continued in sizzling form by combining for four Friday winners.
The racing week closes out on Sunday with a 12:40 p.m. start. Fast-class pacers who can threaten 1:50 comprise the day’s feature, a $15,000 USD contest. Free Philly programs will be available at phha.org.
(PHHA / Harrah’s Philadelphia)