Eight-time Harrah's Philadelphia leading dash-winning driver George Napolitano Jr. gave sophomore gelding Bright Bet a clever steer in the featured $16,667 conditioned pace on Sunday, Aug. 3, holding off heavy favourite Knockout Round in a 1:53.4 mile.
Bright Bet grabbed early command, and then Knockout Round, who had competed in Adios, Meadowlands Pace and North America Cup competition, worked his way to the front in a moderate :28.1 opener. Normally following a heavy favourite in the two-hole is considered a pretty good trip, but Napolitano called on Bright Bet to reclaim the lead shortly into the stretch first time, and got a breather top the half (:58.2) before speeding up to turn back a first-over challenger past a 1:26 three-quarters.
The favourite still lurked in the pocket and ducked to the inside for the drive to the wire, but Napolitano was able to coax enough out of Bright Bet to maintain a neck margin to the finish. Chris Ryder conditions the Bettors Wish-Sunny Dee gelding for Florida owners Let It Ride Stables, Odds On Racing, Enviro Stables and Island Sun Stable.
There was a quartet of $15,278 sub-feature paces on the solid Sunday card. The fast-class pace also went to Napolitano after a well-controlled pace, as he won with the Betting Line-Talk Time gelding Bettor Not Talk in 1:50.4. A back half of :55.1 got the Scott Di Domenico trainee, the slight favourite at even-money, to the line ahead of close second choice Joemikiyourosfine by half-length for owner Allen Wenc.
The first of the two co-features for two-year-old pacing colts went to A Little Kick, a Perfect Sting-Sweet Paprika colt who took the top past the quarter and maintained control to the wire to break his maiden in 1:55.2 for driver Mark Herschberger, trainer Nifty Norman and owners Pinske Stables and Hazy Holdings. The other successful featured freshman was the Captaintreacherous – Musicale Hanover colt Margin Hanover, who took advantage of racing luck (the favourite broke, the pacesetter bore out) to also break his maiden in 1:55.2, coming home in :28 to win for driver Brandon Givens, trainer Jamie Sullivan and owner Frank Chick.
In the claiming handicap pace for high-priced horses, Im Talkin Hungry, the Stay Hungry brother to the aforementioned Bettor Not Talk, brushed to the lead in front of the stands and kept control throughout the rest of the mile, equalling his lifetime mark by winning in 1:52. Johnathan Ahle drove for another successful teaming of trainer Scott Di Domenico and owner Allen Wenc.
Including their success in the features, Mark Herschberger and George Napolitano Jr. had three visits to Victory Lane on the 14-race card.
A pair of $10,417 American Harness Drivers Club (AHDC) Pace events also went postward.
Yogi Sheridan took the first division with Ever M to deliver as the 6-5 chalk in 1:54.4. Sheridan brushed Ever M to the fore after a :27.4 first quarter and waded off first-over pressure from Drowns The Whiskey (Raymond Burt) in a :57.2 half. Drowns The Whiskey started to tire outside passing three-quarters in 1:26.1 while Ever M remained on the muscle coming for home to register a three-length win. Telitonthemountain (Michael Shults) took second with Born Brilliant (Joe Lee) third and Big Bad Bill (Anthony Verruso) fourth.
Izzy Estrada trains Ever M, a five-year-old gelding by Racing Hill, for owner Estrada Racing LLC. He paid $4.40 to win.
After finishing runner-up in division one, Michael Shults found the winner’s circle in the second division when guiding Flying Tiger to a come-from-behind victory in 1:56.4. Shults found second-over cover while chasing speed cut by Pacing Major N (Joe Lee), who circled to the lead after a :27.1 first quarter and coasted on the motor through a :56.4 half and 1:26.1 three-quarters. Flying Tiger loomed closer to the leaders marching for home and successfully struck off a helmet to win by a length over 44-1 shot Stolen Art (Frank Tsipouras) closing for second. Nui Ba Den N (Raymond Burt) finished third and Pacing Major N settled for fourth.
Michael Shults trains Flying Tiger, a six-year-old gelding by Always B Miki, for owner Blazer One Racing. He paid $10.40 to win.
When racing resumes at Philly on Thursday at 12:25 p.m., when the track will be graced by one of the sport’s superstars, Miki And Minnie, the Dan Patch Award-winning two-year-old pacing filly last season. Miki And Minnie, coming off a career-equalling 1:48.3 victory in the Shady Daisy on Hambletonian Day, races in the single Pennsylvania Sire Stakes division, while four horses would be looking to add a second Stallion Series win to their resumes in that group’s three divisions of the fillies’ third preliminary round. There will be a carryover into the fifth race Pick 5 pool on Thursday.
(With files from PHHA/Harrah's Philadelphia and AHDC)