Two-year-old pacers were in the spotlight on Wednesday (July 3) at Harrah’s Philadelphia, with four $13,000 events carded for the side-wheeling freshmen.
Chris Ryder trainee Winning Words took her pari-mutuel debut in 1:54.3. Dexter Dunn sent the Artspeak-Conquer The Beach filly to the lead, set fractions of :28, :58 and 1:26.2, and withstood the stretch bid of favourite Wingding Hanover by a neck for Kenneth Solomon and RBH Ventures Inc.
Driver Yannick Gingras accounted for the other two events for juvenile fillies. His faster winner was Firefly, who scored in 1:55.1. The daughter of Somebeachsomewhere and Music City pressed on to the lead in :28.4, got a breather to a :58.3 half, then went to three-quarters in 1:26.4 and kept a 2-1/2 length margin over pocket rival Lolas Gold for trainer Bruce Saunders and owners Charles and Julie Nash.
In the other section, favourite Sporty Juliana paced past second choice Soixante Hanover to control a :29.1 quarter and then put up middle fractions of :58 and 1:27.1, but broke nearing head-stretch. Soixante Hanover inherited the lead and kept it to the finish, taking a 1:57 mark while 1-1/2 lengths ahead of Grannys Girl. Gingras drove the Somebeachsomewhere-Social Scene filly for trainer Ron Burke and the partnership of Burke Racing LLC, William Switala, James Martin and Joseph Critelli.
The division for colts and geldings saw Western Vacation score on debut in 1:54.1. Marcus Miller raced the son of Western Ideal and Robin Cruiser from the pocket behind Sunuma Beach through fractions of :27.4, :57.4 and 1:26.1. At head-stretch, Western Vacation angled out and prevailed by a half length for trainer Julie Miller and the Pinske Stables.
(with files from PHHA/Harrah's Philadelphia)