Tarot, who was claimed for $12,500 late in May, and the $375,000+ career winner Valley Of Sin both brushed to the lead past the quarter and went on to win their respective $14,500 divisions of the featured trot Thursday afternoon (Sept. 6) at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
The Taurus Dream gelding Tarot kept Skeezix out past a :27.4 quarter, then reclaimed command for driver Eric Carlson and passed the middle poles in :56.4 and 1:25 en route to a 1:53.4 victory. Since being haltered on May 25 by owner Gilbert Garcia-Owen and trainer Gilbert Garcia-Herrera, Tarot has notched three wins and a second, and has earned $22,500 of his $159,245 career bankroll.
Valley Of Sin was aided a bit when the two favourites, Lovely Lynnly and Crazy About Pat, were offstride before the three sixteenths, allowing driver Andrew McCarthy to send the winning Yankee Glide ridgling Valley Of Sin past early leader Turn The Paige, who had passed the first quarter in :28.1, and then got a breather to the :58.2 half. Valley Of Sin then dipped into his reserve of class and held off the first-over Bands Houdini past the 1:26.4 three quarter and to the wire in 1:55.2 for owner John Ducharme and trainer Syl King Jr.
The meet’s leading driver, Tim Tetrick, posted four winners on the afternoon.
Post time on Friday at Harrah’s Philadelphia will be at a special time of 6:30 p.m. On Sunday, the last card of the local racing week switches to a 2:05 p.m. post time, a time which will be in effect on all racing Sundays until the end of the meet on December 16.
(PHHA / Harrah’s Philadelphia)