There were two divisions of a Winner's Over $25,000 Lifetime Pace on Sunday afternoon, which was also USTA Back to the Track day at Harrah's Philadelphia.
In the first division, the wagering public put their support behind Baron Racing and Richard Lombardo's millionaire pacer Dancin Yankee, who was fresh off of a world record performance at Saratoga two weeks ago. At the start, the favourite fired quickly off the wings, clearing the lead before the first turn. After a :26.2 opening quarter, Dancin Yankee (Tyler Buter) rated a second quarter in :29.1, before sprinting away to an easy two length victory, stopping the clock in 1:49.3. Sparky Mark (Corey Callahan) finished second, while pocket-sitter Emeritus Maximus (Andrew McCarthy) finished third. Dancin Yankee is trained by Amber Buter. He returned $2.80 to win.
In the second division, it was Judy Magie's Voice Of Truth (Montrell Teague) living up to favourite status. At the start, it was Adventure Bound (Victor Kirby) sprinting off the wings, ripping the quarter off in :26. Ron Burke trainee Clint Westwood (Yannick Gingras), who was parked the entire first quarter, took the lead approaching the half (:55). As the field neared three-quarters, the closers took closer order as the front end started to tire. Voice Of Truth exploded off cover at the top of the stretch and went on to win by two lengths, stopping the timer in 1:51. A Sweet Ride (Andrew McCarthy) rallied for second, while Ohoka Texas N (Eric Carlson) finished third. Voice Of Truth paid $3.80 to win, keying a $73.40 exacta.
It was also USTA Back to the Track day at Harrah's Philadelphia. Racing fans enjoyed family friendly activities including a bounce house and a balloon artist for children. There were also food and drink specials, as well as giveaways and press box tours. After the eighth race, many of the drivers participated in a t-shirt toss, while signing autographs and taking photos with race fans.
Live racing will continue at Harrah's Philadelphia on Labor Day (Monday) with a post time of 12:40 p.m.
(Harrah's Philadelphia)