Second choice Parkavenuelisa stalked favoured Take Your Pick from the two-hole, then went to the passing lane and worked past the leader by a nose in winning the $18,243 distaff pacing feature on Friday afternoon, Aug. 30 at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
U.S. Hall Of Famers David Miller and Linda Toscano collaborated for the second time on the card with the victory of Parkavenuelisa, a sophomore daughter of Heston Blue Chip. Take Your Pick set fractions of :27.1, :55.4 and 1:24.1 then accelerated to a higher gear, but Parkavenuelisa found quick steps to gain into the :27.1 kicker to take the victory for Bay Pond Racing Stable and Let It Ride Stables Inc.
There were a trio of $16,216 races for very disparate types of pacers. The fast-class contest for mares was taken wire-to-wire by the Somebeachsomewhere mare Uptown Hanover, who steamed home in :27.2 to reach the wire first in 1:51.4 for driver George Napolitano Jr., trainer Jeff Cullipher and Pollack Racing LLC.
In the claiming handicap for top-shelf selling horses, Tony Morgan sat in the pocket with Franco while the two favourites slugged it out and then were joined by the third choice trying to sweep nearing the three-quarters. After the outer excitement quieted, Morgan maneuvered the Rustys All In gelding Franco clear and paced on to victory in 1:50.2, a new mark for the seven-year-old, for trainer Sheena Cohen and Friendship Stables LLC.
The Captaintreacherous three-year-old filly Genie Hanover got the lead, loafed to the half in :58, then flashed home in :54.3 with a :26.4 finale to win the co-feature for developing distaffs in 1:52.3. George Napolitano Jr. drove the Tony Alagna trainee for Pryde Stables Inc., One Point Six Racing Inc., Joe Sbrocco and Caviart Farms.
One name you may be hearing more of in the near future than all of Friday’s feature horses is The Rogue Prince. He was a $375,000 yearling, pretty logical when your sire is Muscle Hill and your dam is Check Me Out, and he might prove to be a bargain for Wallin Racing Stable Inc., Karin Walter-Mommert, Arden Homestead Stable, and Solfrid Myhre (his first horse in the United States Trotting Association records), as in his lifetime debut he trotted in 1:54.3, only two-fifths off the track record for two-year-old colts.
Tim Tetrick got a three-spot with him early, moved him out towards the far turn and had gone right by by headstretch, trotting his own last quarter in :27.1. Driver Tetrick and trainer Lucas Wallin (also sharing a double on the card) have combined on more than their share of top horses, and here may be a star in the making.
Tetrick led for the day with a sulky triple. Joining Simon Allard as doublers were Anthony Morgan, David Miller and George Napolitano Jr., which means that nine of the 14 Philly races were won by drivers who stand in the top six active drivers with the most career wins: Tony Morgan, second, 17,707; David Miller, fourth, 14,491; Tim Tetrick, fifth, 13,996; and George Napolitano Jr., sixth, 12,314. That’s an aggregate 58,508 victories for those drivers, on a non-stakes Friday afternoon at Philly.
The week at Philly has its final card on Sunday at 12:40 p.m. featuring two $12,000 USD contests, a fast-class pace and a trot for developing horses. One week from Sunday, Harrah’s Philly will be hosting all eight of the Stallion Series finales on a $320,000 USD championship day.
(PHHA / Harrah’s Philadelphia)