“Trottin’ Thursday” at Harrah’s Philadelphia was highlighted by a pair of $18,000 events for faster-class horses, with the four-year-old trotting gelding Scirocco Rob setting a 1:52 divisional track record in taking the faster section.
Favoured Pappy Go Go was parked to a :27.1 quarter for command, went on to a :55.3 half, and continued in gear as Cash For Gold, second in his last two starts in this class, came up first-over towards the 1:23.4 three-quarters. Second choice Scirocco Rob was in second-over position, but Hall of Famer David Miller, judging his cover was not going to go on, ducked his horse to the rail going into the far turn, passed the first-over on the inside, came wide again in the lane and caught Pappy Go Go late by a half length.
The former divisional standard of 1:52.1 was held by Sevruga (2012), Fearless Man and Modest Prince (both 2014); the new horse in the record books, a winner of $333,173, is trained by Mark Silva for owners Kathleen and Lewis Whitaker, Jr.
In the first feature division, Whether Or Not FI left no doubt in anybody’s mind, forcing early tucks and rebuffing any further challengers as he went wire-to-wire for driver Yannick Gingras in a lifetime best 1:53.3 after fractions of :27.4, :56.3, and 1:25.1. Imported from Finland (the “FI” in his name) at the start of the year, the altered son of Cantab Hall roared out of the box like a Finnish lion, winning six of his first seven starts, and Thursday he added his ninth victory of the campaign, boosting his 2019 earnings to $105,310, for trainer Linda Toscano and owner Kenneth Jacobs.
The two-year-old pacing filly Speak To Siri stormed home (:55.4 - :27.4) in 1:53.4 to set a North American season’s record breaking her maiden. The daughter of Artspeak–Siri Hanover was reserved well off a fast pace by driver Tim Tetrick, tipped four-wide off cover in the stretch, and closed furiously to catch Sweet Sue by three-quarters of a length for trainer Jim King, Jr. and owner Jo Ann Looney-King.
(PHHA / Harrah’s Philadelphia)