By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – The Bar Hopping – Bella Dolce filly Bella Bellini became the fastest three-year-old trotter in North America so far in 2021 when she won at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Thursday afternoon in 1:53.1.
 
Dexter Dunn kept the talented miss in the pocket behind Worthy Of Honor early as that one put down numbers of :28.1 and :57.4, then pulled her out to challenge the leader nearing the 1:25.3 three-quarters. Bella Bellini cleared to the lead before the end of the far turn, and tacked on her own second successive :27.3 quarter to win by 5¾ lengths over the pacesetter while going comfortably, indicating much more is to come from trainer Nifty Norman and owner David McDuffee, who has long been associated with this filly’s famous family.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – A trio of $11,200 contests for developing horses opened up a five-day racing week at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Wednesday (the track will stage a live card on Kentucky Derby Day Saturday at 12:40).
 
In the first of the contests for male pacers, the altered son of Mr Wiggles Nextmovebestmove remained undefeated in four career starts, chopping down the well-regarded leader Rockin Rocko while lowering his fastest time to 1:51.2. Montrell Teague drove the Clyde Francis trainee, improving by the race, for George Teague Jr. Inc. and David Collins.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – Eazy Pass justified her backing as the heaviest sort of favorite by brushing to the lead nearing the three-quarters and going on to tie her mark of 1:54.3 in the $40,000 Bobby Weiss Series Championship for sophomore trotting fillies Tuesday afternoon at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.
 
32-1 shot P L Olivia was hustled away and put outsiders in behind her before the :27.3 quarter, and she went on to parked second choice quarter-mover Trip Sevens, leaving that rival out in the air past the :56.4 half. Eazy Pass, whom Dexter Dunn had moved out behind Trip Sevens perhaps in anticipation of her clearing, thus had the second-over journey, but before the 1:26 third panel the victorious filly was on her way to the lead, which she maintained to the wire. Eazy Pass won by four lengths over the resilient P L Olivia, with Frankly My Dear third.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – The ultra-consistent pacing mare Lyons Sentinel was even sharper in her qualifying win at Harrah’s Philadelphia Tuesday than she was last week, coming her own last half in a hot :53.3 to win in a 1:53.4 mile. The four-year-old millionaire daughter of Captaintreacherous, among the best of her class at two and three, looks ready to take on more seasoned competition, knocking two seconds off her qualifying win time of last week for driver Tim Tetrick, trainer Jim King Jr., and Threelyonsracing.
 
Fastest winner of the morning session at the southeast Philadelphia oval was the Bettor’s Delight gelding Gardys Legacy A, who missed a nose in a 1:53.2 mile in his first qualifier, then went in 1:52.1 here as he prepares for his North American pari-mutuel career. Andrew McCarthy sent the import scurrying home in :54.3 on the engine for trainer Andrew Harris and the ownership of Bowie Racing LLC and A Harris Racing LLC.
 
Two seasoned trotters turned in impressive qualifying wins for trainer Tom Fanning and owner Joseph Smith. No Drama Please was victorious in 1:57.2 for driver Tim Tetrick, while Fashion Creditor came home first in 1:57.4 for driver Andrew McCarthy.
 
The McCarthy brothers won six of the morning’s qualifiers – Andrew four and Todd two – while a pair of Hall of Famers also had a six-timer, with David Miller and Tim Tetrick each winning three times. Trainers who sent out two winners include Nik Drennan, Tom Fanning, Andrew Harris, and Roland Mallar.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – The Always B Miki sophomore pacing filly So Irresistible, winner of her first two Bobby Weiss Series preliminary legs only to come up a nose shy in the final prelim, bounced back to winning form with a 1:52.4 triumph in the $40,000 Weiss Series Championship for her group Monday afternoon at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.
 
Carrington was quickest away from the gate, with So Irresistible and driver Scott Zeron bypassing a tuck and going on to the lead in the vicinity of the :27.4 quarter. The half went in :56.4, and then came first-over Beach Crazy, with Incaseyoudidntknow, a winner of all three of her prelims and the favorite, second-over.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – The Bar Hopping ridgling Top Me Off completed a “sweep” of his Bobby Weiss Trotting Series action for males, adding the $40,000 Championship on Sunday to his three earlier preliminary wins at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono with a 1:54.4 triumph.
 
Trainer Todd Schadel had guided Top Me Off to the prelim wins, but he turned to driver Andy Miller to handle the three-year-old in the final. Their horse had drawn the outside post nine for the Championship, but even before the race they had luck, with a rival scratching and thus letting them start just a bit more inside.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – Kyuquot, buried along the inside much of the way in the $40,000 Bobby Weiss Series Championship for three-year-old males Saturday afternoon at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, was angled to the far outside the first part of the stretch by driver Tyler Buter, then got up on the line for a 70-1 upset in 1:52.2, while heavy favorite One Eight Hundred was trapped behind a horse and got shuffled out of contention.
 
One Eight Hundred was sent right to the lead and took the field to the quarter in :26.1; when parked challenger Straight Talk argued hard for the lead, One Eight Hundred elected to sit the pocket as Straight Talk went on to command and passed the half in :54.3. Trevor’s Ace went first-over to press the leader and then seized the lead at the 1:23 three-quarters, with the chalk stuck behind the faltering pacesetter. In the stretch it looked like Trevor’s Ace was going to take the big money, but Buter had his Sportswriter gelding in top gear the last sixteenth and posted a nose decision.  One Eight Hundred finally shook loose and came up the Pocono Pike to salvage a fifth while beaten only two lengths.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – Three $11,200 divisions of the “nw 3 races” class for developing pacers highlighted the Friday card at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
 
In the quickest of the three headline events, the three-year-old Sportswriter filly Sports Duchess was able to sit in third until the three-quarters in her division of the female features, briefly got cover, then went wide for driver George Napolitano Jr. and was along by a neck over Sweet Talker. The 1:53.4 clocking knocked almost four seconds off the lifetime best of Sports Duchess, who is trained by Blake MacIntosh for owners Stuart McIntosh and Leanne Murphy.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – The Explosive Matter gelding Rich And Miserable won his fourth straight on Thursday when he took the $14,400 featured fast-class trot at Harrah’s Philadelphia in 1:53.3 in sub-50 degree temperatures.
 
Even though he was sitting in the normally-advantageous pocket position, Rich And Miserable was for much of the way far behind pacesetting Pikachu Hanover, who sailed along on an open lead in remarkable fractions of :27, :55.3, and 1:23.1. The pacesetter could not sustain that energy usage, however, and Rich And Miserable narrowed in from late in the backstretch and drew off through the stretch headwind for driver Tyler Buter, trainer Todd Buter, and owners Buter Farm Inc., Lynette Buter, and William and Carol Fuhs. The winner ran his career tally to 27-for-76, with earnings of $507,636.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – The Sweet Lou sophomore gelding Sweet Angel Boy, going uncovered from last through a pouring rain at Harrah’s Philadelphia Wednesday afternoon, paced his own final half in :54.3 to be an impressive 1:54.3 winner in one of three $11,200 features at the riverside oval.
 
Tim Tetrick got the youngster underway quickly down the backstretch and went up to challenge pacesetting Letstrytowgleagain, the sophomore full brother to the immortal Wiggle It Jiggleit, and while that one held on well as his pedigree might suggest, Sweet Angel Boy was still able to leave him 2¼ lengths behind at the finish. Sweet Angel Boy, whose lone win at two was a 1:52.4 Keystone Classic victory, showed high potential here for trainer Jim King Jr. and owner/wife Jo Ann Looney-King.