The three-year-old Stay Hungry-Sweeter Lulu gelding Mardi Gras Man has caught fire since returning from a two-month absence in July, and on Sunday, Aug. 16 at Harrah's Philadelphia, he notched his fifth victory in a row in a $16,667 conditioned event.
Off the gate at the start, Mardi Gras Man started fourth from the rail post and travelled along the pylons through :27.1 and :56.3 panels provided by Hes Gone Hanover (Troy Beyer). Trae Porter right-lined the gelding going onto the backstretch, and after Mardi Gras Man briefly stalled, he hustled forward to join Hes Gone Hanover and the first-over In The Moonlight (George Napolitano Jr.) past three-quarters in 1:24. Mardi Gras Man raced widest off the turn and produced the most pace, blitzing home on the outside on the way to a 1:51.4 victory by 2-1/2 lengths. Twist Of Lemon (Simon Allard) surged up for place over In The Moonlight.
Mardi Gras Man hit the board just once in his first seven career outings, and after he broke stride in his May 2 start, trainer Stacy Chiodo sent him for a spell. A new horse emerged from the layoff on July 19, when he rallied from sixth to break his maiden and kick off his current winning streak. The homebred is five-for-12 lifetime with $46,737 in bankroll for Timothy Tobias Stable LLC. He paid $2.10 to win.
The rain came midcard with the track listed as sloppy for the featured pacing races and an unusual-for-Philly pro-closer bias being very prevalent.
Everlast Sting Deo had paced his third quarter raw in :25.3 the week before in finishing third and was bet down to 2-1 against 2-5 chalk Toast Of The Town (Simon Allard), dropping from Grand Circuit company, in the $19,444 conditioned feature for developing horses. Driver Mark Herschberger, perhaps encouraged by the raw speed the sometimes-fractious sophomore had shown in his previous start, went to a different page in the playbook and moved Everlast Sting Deo to the top past a :27.4 quarter, then stole the half in :57.4. That speed tactic worked – barely – as Toast Of The Town steadily narrowed in on the leader through three-quarters in 1:25.1 and into the lane, but Everlast Sting Deo held a neck advantage at the wire in a 1:52.2 mile over the sloppy surface. Pa Luke (Jack Pelling) was third.
The winning Perfect Sting-Little Miss K gelding is trained by Travis Alexander for Morrison Racing Stables. Sunday's victory was Everlast Sting Deo's sixth lifetime in 23 outings. He paid $6.20 to win.
Both of the winners in the fast-class sub-features came from the usually-hard-to-conquer two-wide route to score. The three-year-old Watch Em Win ($22.80) was taking on older horses in the $18,056 top fast-class pace, which he drew into because of the non-winners-of-11-lifetime also-eligible condition. He spotted fifth for driver Jack Pelling, then was in the flow third-over. The son of Hes Watching-Winners Over then stepped home in :54.3 to edge out favoured Lous Starr (Corey Braden) by a neck in a 1:51.2 mile, followed by Dontmesswithles (Trae Porter). Ron Burke trains the Delaware star, 11-for-21 in his career, for Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Knox Services Inc. and Phil Collura.
Favoured Captain Crusader A ($3) had an even harder row to hoe in the $15,972 fast-class pacing sub-feature, being 5-3/4 lengths behind at the half. But he came on a resolute grind, going his back half in :53.4 to defeat Better Not Talk (Jim Marohn Jr.) by a half-length in 1:52.1 with Perfect Wager (Art Stafford Jr.) third. Simon Allard drove the nine-year-old Captaintreacherous-The Arch Nemesis stallion for trainer Enrico Robinson and owner Pollack Racing LLC.
Allard was the only horseman to have three victories on the 14-race card, and Robinson was the only trainer to have multiple wins, both with Allard. Double driving wins were also notched by George Napolitano Jr. and Jack Pelling.
“Trottin’ Thursday” will be the next card at Harrah’s Philly at its usual 12:25 p.m. post time, with featured races for the top veterans, the developmental group and one two-year-old trot for each sex.
(Standardbred Canada & PHHA/Harrah's Philadelphia)