Jensville A, perfectly driven by George Napolitano Jr., captured the $22,222 fast-class mares handicap pace on Friday afternoon, Sept. 19 at Harrah’s Philadelphia in 1:47.4, knocking a tick off of the track record for older pacing mares, which was set by Shartin N in her U.S. Horse of the Year campaign in 2019.
Another U.S. Horse of the Year, Twin B Joe Fresh (2024), was the other main equine character in the record mile on Friday. Jensville A had post six and Twin B Joe Fresh the outside post seven; Napolitano got Jensville A away in sharp order to make the top near the eighth, then carried Twin B Joe Fresh, driven by Patrick Ryder, well past a :25.4 opening quarter before yielding the lead. The triple millionaire pacesetter rolled right along with middle fractions of :53.2 and 1:20.3, with Jensville A the only horse within shouting distance.
As the top pair turned into the lane, Napolitano took Jensville A to the outside, and the help of sitting in the golden chair, plus the energy Twin B Joe Fresh had used already, brought about Jensville A going by for a three-quarter length decision at the wire. The time was two-fifths of a second off the divisional world record, set by Sylvia Hanover at Plainridge Park in 2025.
Jensville A, who lowered her mark by three second and three-fifths, certainly knows the way to the winner's circle, as this outing gives her eight successes in 17 seasonal starts, and 20 wins in her 51 lifetime trips behind the gate. Chris Height conditions the seven-year-old Huntsville-Burston Holme mare for owner Michael Casalino Jr. of Freehold, New Jersey.
Napolitano drove three winners on Friday; doubling up were driver Jack Pelling and trainer Scott Di Domenico. Silenced on the program were $50+ winners (although two paid $40+) – there had been eight bombers in the five previous programs, dating back to Sept. 6.
The Harrah’s Philadelphia racing week concludes on Sunday with a 12:40 p.m. program, with the red-hot Harrington shipper Wehadababyetzaboy starting from the outside post eight in the featured fast-class handicap pace. Philly will follow its usual Thursday/Friday at 12:25 p.m. and Sunday at 12:40 p.m. racing schedule the following week, then will be dark for live racing from Oct. 1-4 for the track surface’s annual refurbishment.
(With files from PHHA/Harrah's Philadelphia)