CHESTER PA – Most of the better two-year-olds at this time are beginning their pari-mutuel careers, but a Tuesday morning freshman qualifying session at Harrah’s Philadelphia still unveiled a few winners, mostly first-time, worth looking for in the near future.
There were two divisions of males and two of females on the trotting side, and the fastest winner, the Sebastian K S – Carla filly Knockdown Dragout, set the North American season’s record for her group while winning in 1:57.1 for driver David Miller, trainer Andrew Harris, and The Stable Knockdown Group. This young miss showed tremendous front-end speed, both in her previous 1:58.3 qualifying win at Mohawk and in this event, and will be tough to catch as the stakes season opens.
Somebeachsomewhere also sired the fastest baby filly pacing winner among three sections in Beyond Ecstasy, who came from behind first-over to win in 1:55.4, with her own back half :55.4 and her own last panel :27.4. Beyond Ecstasy is out of Fashion Ecstasy, making her a full sister to the $1.5M winner Filibuster Hanover, and she showed a big late kick in his second outing for driver Tim Tetrick, trainer Jim Campbell, and owners Jeffrey and Michael Snyder and the Four Friends Racing Stable LLC.
David Miller handled four of the victorious babies, including both winning trotting fillies, to lead the drivers of the day, while Jim Campbell was the only trainer to record a pair of victories. Somebeachsomewhere sired four of the seven pacing winners in the morning session.