Shebang N, guided by 'countryman' Dexter Dunn, won the $16,000 distaff pacing feature on a special Friday evening card at Harrah’s Philadelphia, gaining into a 27.4 last quarter to win in 1:53.2 in weather that forced three short delays in the races due to hard rain and lightning.
Dunn and the victorious daughter of Mach Three went up to the lead shortly out of the first turn, then yielded to race favourite Rob Them Blind. Shebang N was content to sit until the stretch sprint, then showed sharp acceleration to get by the favourite by a neck for trainer Nifty Norman and the Robert Cooper Stables LLC.
The victory was the fourth in a row for Shebang N, and her driver Dexter Dunn has also been hot as well at Philly. After not getting the best of stock upon returning to the southeast Pennsylvania oval (he won two races here in 2011) and not tasting success in his first 20 local drives, the 29-year-old New Zealander certainly has turned things around -- his win in the feature was his seventh in 19 starts here since that unremarkable beginning.
In the $14,500 co-featured pace for distaffs, the Artzina mare Use Your Noodle and driver Victor Kirby also found a pocket trip the route to the winner's circle, catching millionaire pacesetter Regil Elektra to also win by a head in 1:52.1, with her last quarter in :28 in the off going. Use Your Noodle, trained by DeShawn Sample for Nanticoke Racing Inc., Henry Faragalli III, Arthur Feeney, and Trevor Johnson, now has earned $285,315.
In a $14,000 trot, the Muscle Hill colt Fleet Admiral, a full brother to Ariana G, was handled patiently by driver Josert Fonseca, moving from midpack at the quarter and grinding his way to the lead by the half, then stepping home safe from his opposition in a 1:55.2 mile. Fleet Admiral has now won three in a row for trainer Jimmy Takter and owners Marvin Katz, Al Libfeld and the S R F Stable.
The Liberty Bell stakes series returns on the Sunday card, which begins at 2:05 p.m., as will the remainder of the cards raced on Sunday through meet’s end on December 16. Three-year-old colts of both gaits will contest half of the 14 races set for Sunday in Liberty Bell series racing, with four divisions for the pacers and three for the trotters.
(With files from PHHA/Harrah's Philadelphia)