On Wednesday (Aug. 8) at Harrah’s Philadelphia, the Eric Ell-trained and David Miller-driven Penzance Hanover ($3.60) converted a two-hole trip and captured a $16,000 conditioned pace in 1:51.2.
After a Post 6 start, Penzance Hanover settled in for a pocket ride, as the George Napolitano Jr.-driven Lyons Steel cut the fractions in :26.4, :56.4 and 1:24.1.
Penzance Hanover, a four-year-old gelded son of Somebeachsomewhere, was still more than two lengths back in second at the head of the stretch, but Miller asked in the lane and the bay responded. When all was said and done, Penzance Hanover got up for a nose victory in 1:51.2, which was the fourth win of his 28-race career. Lyons Steel settled for second, and the Tim Tetrick-driven Palomar finished more than six lengths back in third.
George Napolitano Jr. recorded five wins on the program for five different trainers. Napolitano is currently second to Tim Tetrick in the local standings, and they rank next to each other (Tetrick fourth, Napolitano fifth) in the national yearly totals. Napolitano is also the leading sulkysitter at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.
The ‘glamour division’ of the sport, the three-year-old pacing colts, will come to ‘Philly Town’ for this weekend’s Pennsylvania-sired action. Friday’s card will feature three divisions of a PA Stallion Series event, while on Sunday such well-known horses as Well Done, Wes Delight, Hayden Hanover, and Babes Dig Me are set to do battle in three sections of sire stakes competition.
(With files from the PHHA and Harrah’s Philadelphia)