The rain came to Harrah’s Philadelphia late on the Sunday, July 27 card, but not before the two $16,438 feature races for developing horses had been contested over a fast track.
The feature for pacing males went to the Lazarus N-Raise Your Glass gelding Avellino, who was moved to the lead in the second quarter by driver Johnathan Ahle and maintained his advantage to the wire, withstanding Meltdown Monte (Jack Pelling) by three-quarters of a length while taking a new mark of 1:51.4 for trainer-owner A. Tony Monica. The four-year-old gelding is now three-for-31 lifetime. The win price was $3. Goodbye Stranger (Mark Herschberger) finished third.
On the trot, two longshots were noses part at the wire, and 18-1 shot Last Of Braggert overcame a first-over journey to hold off Express Pac (Troy Beyer), the horse on his back, by the smallest possible margin while posting a 1:56.4 clocking, within a fifth of his lifetime mark. Theobald (Patrick Ryder) finished third. Herschberger guided the winning son of Braggart-Marisa Hall for trainer Britney Dillon and owner Howard Taylor. Last Of Braggert has won 12 of his 53 lifetime appearances. He returned $39.20 to win.
Doubles were recorded by trainer Izzy Estrada, the track’s leading conditioner, and drivers Ahle, Eric Goodell, and Herschberger. Goodell’s two-bagger is worth an extra mention, as the winner of 5,896 races in his career had not driven since November 5 at Cumberland Run.
Harrah's Philly also hosted a pair of $10,274 American Harness Drivers Club (AHDC) Pace events on the card. Sheridan scored in the first of two divisions with 3-5 favourite Ever M in a 1:55.1 mile. Ever M fired down the road off a modest opening tempo of :28.1 and :59.1 and hustled for three-quarters in 1:26.4. He held firm down the stretch to win by 2-1/2 lengths over Bizys Beatle (Geovany Hernandez), who took second from pocket-sitter Pacing Major N. Redding Hanover (Tony Beltrami) finished fourth.
Izzy Estrada trains Ever M, a five-year-old gelding by Racing Hill-Me And My Baby, for owner Estrada Racing LLC. He paid $3.40 to win in his fifth career victory in 69 starts.
Hernandez later delivered as the 2-1 favourite with Rojans Way in a 1:55.3 mile in the other AHDC Pace division. He was parked the mile while pressing pacesetter Ferdinand A (William Harrison) through splits of :27.3, :56.2 and 1:25. Rojans Way continued clawing forward and successfully overhauled Ferdinand A in the stretch to win by a length. Born Brilliant (Beltrami) rallied for third, and Freds Night (Michael Dailey) took fourth.
Hernandez owns and trains Rojans Way, a nine-year-old gelding by Well Said-Whitesand Nurse. He improved his career record to 26-for-253 and paid $6.60 to win.
AHDC action resumes next Sunday, August 3 with pacing divisions at Harrah’s Philadelphia and trotting divisions at Pocono Downs. First-race post time at Harrah’s Philadelphia is 12:40 p.m. and 6 p.m. at Pocono.
Philly goes back to its three-day-a-week schedule starting this week, with Thursday and Friday cards at 12:25 p.m. and Sunday programs at 12:40 p.m.
(PHHA/Harrah's Philadelphia)