Dire Straits was the sultan of speed in the $16,216 fast-class trotting feature on Thursday, Aug. 29 at Harrah’s Philadelphia, making a strong midrace move to command and then powering off to a 5-1/4 length victory in 1:52.
Driver Ridge Warren, whose name you’ll see a couple more times in this story, settled the son of Muscle Hill in third before the :27 initial fraction, then moved him out in front of the stands and made the lead before the :55.4 half. Several foes looked to still have a shot at the 1:24.1 three-quarters, but Dire Straits blitzed home in :27.4 for the easy win over a pair of horses who combined have won over $4.3 million in their careers — Crystal Fashion (second) and JL Cruze (third). Marcus Melander conditions Dire Straits for owners Richard Gutnick, Thomas Pontone, and Gary Cocco.
There were also a trio of $16,216 contests for developing youngsters. The pacing contest saw a spectacular display from Crush Kill Destroy, as the Betterthancheddar sophomore colt lived up to his name in taking a 1:50.1 mark. Ridge Warren guided the sophomore — who had been second to the heralded Nijinsky in an Ontario Sires Stakes event in his last start — through splits of :27.2, :55.1, and 1:21.3 before winning by 5-1/4 lengths for trainer Per Engblom, whose Engblom Stable LLC shares ownership with Evans Nation.
Warren also won the quicker of the two co-features on the trot, using craftiness instead of raw power in driving the Bar Hopping three-year-old filly I See A Star to a neck margin over Caviart Irish Luck while lowering her record to 1:55. Warren kept the filly in third, followed his main opponent outside after the outer tier stalled, then swung wide and was along for trainer Kerry Welty and owner Brian Emerson.
The other trot division saw Jackie Ingrassia put the Greenshoe sophomore miss Green Zone into a grinding position outside of favoured Brickyard Rally, went by when that one made a break into the stretch and bothered second choice Poisonpoke, then went on to a 1-1/4 length success over Jesmach On Target. Ingrassia’s husband Frank conditions the winner, who lowered her record three seconds to 1:55.3, and she co-owns the trotter with Arden Homestead Stable.
In all, Ridge Warren paraded back four winners, as did George Napolitano Jr. – giving red-and-white-clad drivers eight of the day’s 14 wins. Scott Stranahan also deserves a mention because on Thursday at age 59 he sent out his first lifetime winning trainee with Racing Money.
A $13,500 USD pacing feature for up-and-coming females tops the 12:25 p.m. Friday card at Philly; there is also a $12,000 USD claiming handicap pace where the entrants show lines with them winning at a 39 per cent clip and posting a .553 “UDR.” There will also be carryover into the fifth race Pick 5 wager.
(PHHA / Harrah's Philadelphia)