The Muscle Hill-Thats All Moni gelding Diplomacy, who had displayed a pattern of breaking in every other start, continued that trend by following up on a miscue with a wire-to-wire victory in 1:55.3, looking more like the $425,000 yearling purchase that he was, in the $18,750 featured conditioned trot for up-and-coming horses at Harrah’s Philadelphia during the “Trottin’ Thursday” card on Sept. 11.
Driver Troy Beyer guided the trotter to command nearing a :28.4 quarter, then got a breather to the half in :58.1. With an increase of speed to a 1:26.4 three-quarters, both the pocket horse and first-over challenger jumped off-stride trying to go with him, and Diplomacy finished 2-3/4 lengths clear of Theobald (Corey Callahan). Abraham Hanover (Stacy Chiodo) completed the triactor.
Diplomacy attained the victory for trainer Noel Daley and the ownership of Allister Stables LLC, L A Express & Sjoblom Inc., Frank Canzone, and Michael Dolan. The four-year-old gelding is now five-for-24 lifetime.
The track’s leading driver, Tim Tetrick, arrived mid-card and posted five victories and a second in seven steers (UDR .714), including winning both $18,056 divisions of the conditioned fast-class trot.
The faster division of the fast-class diamondgaited events was won by recent import (from Italy, despite his name) Ultion Face S, who followed up on a win in his U.S. bow and then a close second at Philly last week with a 1:52.1 in-hand victory here for Tetrick. Fractions of :28.1, :56.3, and 1:24.4 left the nine-year-old gelded son of Joke Face-Croix Dam with plenty left of the tank for the stretch, and Ultion Face S went clear by 2-1/2 lengths over Celebrity Bambino (Callahan) with Kinnder Thinktwice (George Napolitano Jr.) third. Ultion Face S, who is now 17-for-83 lifetime, looks ready to take on tougher assignments for trainer Per Engblom and the partnership of Jesper Bjorn Arvenberg and Engblom Stable LLC.
In the other headline race for the veteran set, Tetrick kept the Sebastian K S-Mauresmo gelding Saint K pressing forward outside a gaggle of inside leavers, finally securing the lead at a price of :27.3, then got a breather to the half in :57.3. Favoured Super Duper Cooper (Mark Herschberger) joined him uncovered mid-backstretch, and the two battled past the 1:25.3 three-quarters and all the way to the wire, with Saint K getting the decision by a neck with a 1:54.4 victory. Howlingathemoon Dk (Pat Lachance) was third. Saint K races for trainer Scott Di Domenico and owners Angela Cornell and Tessie Esry. The seven-year-old gelding took his 29th career win in 134 attempts.
Tetrick also won with One After Nine, Kellys Landing, and Caviart Gemma. The Hall of Famer leads the Philly standings by a commanding 55 wins.
Racing resumes at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Friday at 12:25 p.m., with fast-class pacing distaffs ready to battle in a $13,000 USD contest. There will also be a carryover into the fifth-race Pick 5 pool.
(PHHA/Harrah's Philadelphia)