Ruthless Hanover, the author of the fastest mile ever on a 5/8-mile oval with a 1:46.3 win here on Super Sunday 2023, was the heaviest of favourites in Friday (Sept. 20) evening’s $20,270 fast-class handicap pace at Harrah’s Philadelphia, and he won in total control in 1:51.2 over a sloppy oval.
George Napolitano Jr., his pilot in the record mile, reunited with the Somebeachsomewhere gelding, got him to the front well before a :27.2 opener, and with his rivals’ large respect for the champion, the pair got to steal the half in :57. Ken Hanover came first-over from midbackstretch, and 39-1 Congressional did his best in the two-hole, but they never really posed a major danger to the winner, who scored by 1-1/2 lengths over the pocketsitter, who in turn had a neck up at the wire on the overland challenger. Team Cancelliere – trainer Tom and owner/brother John – are the braintrust behind “Ruthless,” whose career bankroll is now $741,344.
And the earplugs were never popped.
In the $12,000 subfeature fast-class pace, the Bettors Delight gelding Macs Delight showed some gate jet for driver Corey Callahan, getting him a slot fourth early instead of being on the banks of the Delaware River at the quarter, as he often is here. The stablemate to Ruthless Hanover for Team Cancelliere thus got to work from second-over, and he flashed home powerfully to defeat a very game first-over Mad Max Hanover by a neck in 1:49.3 (the rain started after this race). Macs Delight has now won four of his last five Philly starts; in his only loss he was third despite pacing his own back half in :54 coming from last.
The JK Endofanera mare Take Your Pick has been red-hot since joining the Rick Bilach barn, continuing her form streak with a 1:52.2 victory over the sloppy going in the $13,000 headliner for distaff pacers. Simon Allard sent the winner to the early lead around Stallion Series champion Pressure Cooker, got a breather to the half, then sprinted home in :55.2 to withstand the two-holer by a half length for owner Troy Stewart, who has seen his recent acquisition win four of her five trips behind the gate since her purchase.
In addition to his win with Ruthless Hanover, George Napolitano Jr. won both halves of the Late Double and completed his night with four wins, and he now trails Tim Tetrick 113-108 in the meet’s standings. This duo has won the last seventeen dash titles at the Harrah’s facility (Tim nine, George eight); the only other driver to win a local dash crown was Cat Manzi in the track’s inaugural year of 2006.
Racing at Harrah’s Philly will resume on Sunday afternoon at 12:40 p.m.; next week’s schedule will be the same as this week’s: Thursday at 12:25 p.m., Friday at 6:30 p.m., and Sunday at 12:40 p.m.
(PHHA / Harrah's Philadelphia)