By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – Dire Straits was the sultan of speed in the $12,000 fast-class trotting feature on Thursday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia, making a strong midrace move to command and then powering off to a 5¼ length victory in 1:52.
 
Driver Ridge Warren, whose name you’ll see a couple more times in this story, settled the son of Muscle Hill in third before the :27 initial fraction, then moved him out in front of the stands and made the lead before the :55.4 half. Several foes looked to still have a shot at the 1:24.1 three-quarters, but Dire Straits blitzed home in :27.4 for the easy win over a pair of horses who combined have won over $4.3 million in their careers, Crystal Fashion (second) and JL Cruze (third). Marcus Melander conditions Dire Straits for owners Richard Gutnick, Thomas Pontone, and Gary Cocco.
 
There were also a trio of $12,000 contests for developing youngsters. The pacing contest saw a spectacular display from Crush Kill Destroy, as the Betterthancheddar sophomore colt lived up to his name in taking a 1:50.1 mark. Ridge Warren drove the sophomore, who had been second to the heralded Nijinsky in an Ontario stake in his last start, who went down the road with splits of :27.2, :55.1, and 1:21.3 in winning by 5¼ lengths for trainer Per Engblom, whose Engblom Stable LLC shares ownership with Evans Nation.
 
Warren also won the quicker of the two co-features on the trot, using craftiness instead of raw power in driving the Bar Hopping three-year-old filly I See A Star to a neck margin over Caviart Irish Luck while lowering her record to 1:55. Warren kept the filly in third, followed his main opponent outside after the outer tier stalled, then swung wide and was along for trainer Kerry Welty and owner Brian Emerson.
 
The other trot division saw Jackie Ingrassia put the Greenshoe sophomore miss Green Zone into a grinding position outside of favored Brickyard Rally, went by when that one made a break into the stretch and bothered second choice Poisonpoke, then went on to a 1¼ length success over Jesmach On Target,. Ingrassia’s husband Frank conditions the winner, who lowered her record three seconds to 1:55.3, and she co-owns the trotter with Arden Homestead Stable.
 
In all, Ridge Warren paraded back four winners, as did George Napolitano Jr. – giving red-and-white-clad drivers eight of the day’s fourteen wins. Scott Stranahan also deserves a mention because on Thursday at age 59 he sent out his first lifetime winning trainee with Racing Money.
 
A $13,500 pacing feature for up-and-coming females tops the 12:25 Friday card at Philly; there is also a $12,000 claiming handicap pace where the entrants show lines with them winning at a 39% clip and posting a .553 “UDR.” There will also be carryover into the fifth race Pick 5 wager. Free Philly programs are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WATTSBURG PA – The sophomore Stay Hungry gelding Rose Run Zeke came within a fifth of a second of tying the all-age record at the Erie County Fair in this northwest Pennsylvania borough, crossing the wire in 2:00.2 during Pennsylvania Fair Sire Stakes “A” competition on Tuesday. The record of 2:00.1 still resides with the two-year-old male Venier Hanover and the three-year-old male Midway Island.
 
The proceedings in the three-year-old pacing colt section was swept by driver Eric Neal, who guided Rose Run Zeke for trainer-owner Mitchell York, and won the other “A” section with the Betting Line gelding Always Bet On Me in 2:01 for trainer-father Randal, with Eric the co-owner with Neal Racing Stable LLC.  
 
Eric also won the “B” section with RT Whistlin Willy, an altered son of A Rocknroll Dance trained by Tom Loughery Jr. for Brocious Racing Stable. “Willy” is interesting because he has won seven times in “B” company – PA fair rules require a “B” horse to move up to “A” if winning three of four starts, but since the fair schedule gets so crowded that races for the next fair are often drawn before the current one is completed, on Friday at Stoneboro “Willy” will, for the second time this season, be eligible to stay in the lower class through the “eligible at time of entry” rule.
 
Among the sophomore trotters, “sweeps” of “A” action occurred for both sexes, as driver Brady Brown and trainer Steve Schoeffel won both colt events, with Cyclone Ben (fastest trotter of the meet at 2:04.1) and Bird And Grenade, while on the filly side, driver Wayne Long and trainer Joyce Lineweaver clicked with Unique Wedding and Trinity’s Advocate.
 
During Monday’s two-year-old competition, one Wattsburg track record was reset – the trotting filly RT Paint It Black (Greenshoe – Fancy), whose 2:05.3 mile gave her a line in the record books by a tick over the old mark set in 2016 by Lovebeinglucky. RT Paint It Black’s accomplishment was burnished by the fact that her win came over Classy Cocktail, a seven-time “A” winner. The new recordholder, also the meet’s fastest two-year-old trotter, was driven by Eric Neal for trainer Tom Loughry Jr. and Lone Wolf Stable.
 
Joining Classy Cocktail as a seven-time “A” freshman winner was the Bar Hopping – Moots trotting gelding Mr Hooper (driver Aaron Johnson), who now has won five times straight for trainer Bill Daugherty Jr. and owner/wife Susan.
 
Fastest pacing mile among the two-year-olds actually came in a “B” event, as the Papi Rob Hanover – Apple Hanover colt Stealing Apples won in 2:03.2 for 18-year-old driver Jesse Barnard, veteran trainer Tim Twaddle, and owner Brady Doyle.
 
The driving crown at the Wattsburg meet landed on the head of Eric Neal, who paraded back eight winners, two more than Aaron Johnston. Joyce Lineweaver and Tom Loughery Jr. each harnessed four winners to tie at the top of the conditioners column.
 
As noted, Stoneboro is next on the schedule, the last stop on the “western swing” of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes trail, with post time at 5 p.m. on Thursday and noon on Friday. The fans in attendance over the last few meets will have certainly gotten their fill of action, as 30 heats were raced over two days at both Indiana and Wattsburg, and 32 more are scheduled for Stoneboro, as the trotters and pacers try to earn their way into their respective $25,000 Pennsylvania Fair Sire Stakes Championships, to be held at The Meadows on Friday, October 11.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – Carabao A won his fourth race in his last six starts, with the Australian import taking a new mark of 1:48.2 in the $17,000 featured pace at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, where the surface has been wicked-fast all week.
 
Tyler Buter got the American Ideal gelding away third as Endofstory streaked to command early and put up hot fractions of :26.3, :54.4, and 1:21.2 without anybody charging at him. In fact, it was the winner who was first to move out and up to the pacesetter late in the backstretch, and through the lane Carabao A had better pace than his game foe, turning him back by a length for trainer Lance Hudson, co-owner with William Hartt.
 
There were three divisions of a $15,000 sub-feature class, one for either sex on the pace and one on the trot. The pacing males got the card off to a quick start with a 1:49.3 lifetime best from the gelding Forward Look, who made the lead past mid-first turn and held command the rest of the way, defeating pocketsitter Yankee Clout by a neck under the guidance of Matt Kakaley.
 
The distaff co-feature pacers made up the second half of the Early Double, and sweeping the two races were trainer Nicholas Devita, sire Huntsville, and the partnership of David Hamm, Christopher Giaccio, and Glenn Phillips, with the mare LInemup Knockmback ready after a five-week absence to earn a new speed badge of 1:51. The Pocono Pike was the avenue for Linemup Knockmback and driver George Napolitano Jr. to win by 1½ lengths over favored Gentrify, who made a good recovery from a brief early misstep.
 
The trotting section of this class for developing horses also saw a new mark taken, as the Bar Hopping filly Tequini Hanover overcame the tough post eight draw in 1:54.2. “Tequini” certainly did not have an easy trip after starting from the far outside, but she showed grittiness to withstand Loranga by a half length for driver Matt Kakaley, trainer Lucas Wallin, and the partnership of Wallin Racing Stable Inc., Wiesman Farms LLC, and Pieter Delis.
 
Anthony Napolitano won the last race of the day to top the drivers colony with three visits to the winners circle.
 
Pocono is now on its late summer/fall  basic schedule of 1 p.m. racing on Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday. Free Pocono programs are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – Supernova Hanover was the easiest of winners in the $15,000 featured trot on Monday afternoon at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, where good weather and a honed racetrack produced fast times all day long.
 
Supernova Hanover, a sophomore Greenshoe colt trained by Per Engblom for Engblom Stables LLC, Douglas Sipple, and recent Hall Of Fame honoree Mal Burroughs and his Mal & Janet Burroughs LLC, sat off an initial quarter of :27.4, then was put into play by driver Tyler Buter just before a :57 half. Supernova Hanover, who won in 1:51.3 at The Meadowlands on Hambletonian Day, went to the lead by midbackstretch, and after that the race was for place, as the colt won by 3¼ lengths over Going Green in 1:54.2, which would turn out to be somewhat pedestrian this day.
 
Supernova Hanover was a good name for the feature race winner on Monday at Pocono (“supernova”: the death of a star, “the largest explosions that take place in space” – NASA). The co-featured trot went in 1:53.1, and six other trots, all for first- or second-level horses, went 1:56 or less. These included three won by driver Koltin Noble, the 20-year-old lefty who combined with trainer Mahlon Martin for two; Noble tied with leading driver Matt Kakaley for the day’s honors.
 
Another was a 1:55.4 win by the two-year-old trotting gelding The Fix Was In. Just as impressive a freshman, though without the total low time, was a debuting filly for Team Svanstedt, the $275,000 yearling What A Bid Hanover, with whom Sarah Svanstedt circled up four-wide around breaking inside horses to the lead, slowed the tempo, then came home in :27.1 to complete a 1:58 package.
 
The pacers did their part as well, with a bottom-level event for sidewheelers going in 1:51.1.
 
At this rate, the $17,000 featured pace for developing horses that headlines the 1 p.m. Tuesday card at The Downs could threaten the 1:50 mark. Free Pocono programs are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – Green Pastures got to set a dawdling pace, was aided when the challenging favorite broke, and then came home in :27.2 to win the $15,000 featured trot in 1:55.3 on Sunday evening at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania.
 
Green Pastures, a sophomore Greenshoe gelding trained by Per Engblom, got the front relatively quickly; the second choice had Bella’s Musclehill, the favorite and second in his Hambletonian elimination, on his back. Jason Bartlett rested his horse as much as he could on the lead by setting fractions of :28.2, :59.1, and 1:28.1, with Bella’s Musclehill moving out of the two-hole at the three-quarters to try to go by.
 
Green Pastures accelerated; Bella’s Musclehill made a break trying to generate greater speed. Seven Reps, sitting third, came up the inside and posed a threat, but Green Pastures, coming off a 1:53.2 Pennsylvania Stallion Series victory, had too much left, winning by a half length under mild Bartlett coaxing. Green Pastures’ ownership consists of VIP Internet Stable LLC, Engblom Stable LLC, R A W Equine Inc., and Marco Greico.
 
In a $12,500 co-feature, also on the trot, the Class Included gelding Breckenridge raised his career bankroll to $378,755 with a 1:53.4 victory. Driver Anthony Napolitano made a quick move down the backstretch with his trotter to get the lead, then kept right on going in winning by 3¼ lengths for trainer Lance Hudson and owner William Hartt.
 
Doubles were posted by drivers Jason Bartlett, Matt Kakaley, Marcus Miller, and Anthony Napolitano, and by trainer Per Engblom.
 
This is the final Sunday card during the 2024 racing season at Pocono; racing reverts to a Saturday-Monday-Tuesday schedule at 1 p.m. There will be a double carryover into the last race High 5 wager for the Monday card. Free Pocono programs are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – Two-year-old pacing males provided spirited racing at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Sunday afternoon as they battled for points and a high place in the standings in the last preliminary round of their Pennsylvania Sire Stakes and Stallion Series before their rich early September Championships.
 
$187,712 was on line during the three divisions of Pennsylvania Sire Stakes action. The only successful non-favorite and non-double PaSS winner recorded the fastest time:  the Papi Rob Hanover – Dagnabit Hanover gelding Dreamboat Hanover, who after close Sire Stakes finishes put it all together to take a new mark of 1:50.3. Driver Todd Schadel sent his colt up between horses early to the lead and never looked back, putting up splits of :27, :56, and 1:23.1, then keeping favored Papi’s Rocket safe by 2¼ lengths. Todd’s son Cody trains the “family affair” horse, who is owned by his father and mother Christine in partnership with Timothy Hayes and Dr. Megan Moschgat.
 
The other two Sires winners were colts who are sons of Sweet Lou. Go Go Grasshopper (dam Faster Faster) also took the engine route for driver-trainer Joe Bongiorno, with fractions of :27.2, :56, and 1:22.4 preceding a final clocking of 1:50.4, which equaled his lifetime best. Inflation Proof was 2½ lengths in second behind the winner, who is owned by Let It Ride Stables Inc., Odds On Racing, and JB Racing.
 
The other son of Sweet Lou winning in the upper category was Railroad Station (dam Rodeo Rosie), whose 1:51.2 winning time was actually the slowest victory of his three-win career, as he had won an All-Stars at Pocono and a PaSS at The Meadows in 1:51.1. Railroad Station sat in the two-hole a long way under a hard hold by driver David Miller as Wedlock Blue Chip set fractions of :26.4, :55.4, and 1:24, then was finally given his head by Miller nearing the far turn. The colt worked past the pacesetter by 1¾ lengths for trainer Ron Burke and the partnership of Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Hatfield Stables, and J&T Silva- Purnel & Libby.
 
In contrast to the Sire Stakes races, the five $20,000 divisions of Stallion Series racing saw the fastest time posted by the only winning favorite: I’m The One, who headed a 1-2-3 finish for sire Papi Rob Hanover  with a win in 1:51.1, a tick faster than his StS success at The Meadows in his last start. Tim Tetrick, the track’s leading driver for the meet and for the day (four wins Sunday) sulkysat behind the winning gelding (dam Lifetime Trust) for trainer Brett Pelling, giving Let It Ride Stables Inc. and Odds On Racing a second stakes win (there’s more coming), this one in partnership with Enviro Stables LTD.
 
Papi Rob Hanover had a second Stallion Series win and a third on the stakes day when the gelding Makes Sense grinded to a lifetime best of 1:52 in only his third start for trainer Robert Cleary and – there they are again – Let It Ride Stables Inc. and Odds On Racing, this time in partnership with trainer Cleary and Carl Howard.
 
Makes Sense was one of three Stallion Series wins for driver Todd McCarthy, two of them for the successful teaming of Let It Ride Stables Inc. and Odds On Racing – Makes Sense and Twisted Destiny, a Bettor’s Wish – Tug River Princess ridgling, who took a new mark of 1:51.4 in his second consecutive StS victory for trainer Chris Ryder. That’s four stakes on the day for Let It Ride and Odds On.
 
McCarthy also guided to victory a colt by Sweet Lou, which gave that sire three stakes wins on the day. This winner was Mad River (dam Reckless Fool), who in his first Stallion Series start laid off a hot pace then closed to take a new mark of 1:52.1 mark for his second straight success. Joe Holloway is the trainer for Val D’Or Farms.
 
 The final StS winner was the Captaintreacherous – Hidden Land colt Jackson Cooper, who picked a good time to break his maiden, pacing in 1:53.4 for driver Austin Siegelman, trainer Matthew Medeiros, and Jesmeral Stable.
 
The Standardbred division of the Pennsylvania Horse Racing Commission is the official body responsible for determining pointstandings and thus eligibility for the Championships; final point totals and eligibility should be checked with them, but give them a few hours on Monday – the Sire Stakes appears to have have a tie for the final spots, and the Stallion Series eligibles look to have a four-way tie in points for the last two spots according to unofficial calculations. The freshman Sire Stakes finals are Thursday, September 5 at The Meadows; all eight Stallion Series Championships will be raced on Sunday, September 8 at Harrah’s Philly.
 
Driver Austin Siegelman, in a rare local appearance, not only had a Stallion Series winner, but he guided Hemsworth N (another son of Sweet Lou, but seven years old) to a 1:48.3 victory in the $15,000 fast-class handicap pace. Siegelman yielded the early lead to Backstreet Shadow wand was content to follow the millionaire in the pocket with his gelding, then moved him outside for the stretch drive and won out by three-quarters of a length for trainer Jared Bako and 1362313 Ontario LTD.
 
The monopoly some entities seemed to have at Philly on Sunday (Let It Ride / Odds On, Papi Rob Hanover / Sweet Lou) also extended to the drivers colony: Tetrick had four, Todd McCarthy three, Siegelman and Bongiorno two along with Tony Morgan. After the fifth race on the 15-race card, no driver but these five entered Victory Lane. The trainers ledger was more equitable, with only Chuck Crissman Jr. doubling on the day.
 
Racing resumes at Philly on “Trottin’ Thursday” with a 12:25 first post. Free Philly programs are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania held a $22,000 pace for Pennsylvania Sire Stakes-eligible three-year-old pacing males as its Saturday afternoon feature, to possibly serve as a springboard to Sire Stakes and Stallion Series Championship racing early in September.
 
The winner of the race, Vengeance Bluechip, would need wholesale defections above him in the standings even if he were to enter and win the final Stallion Series prelim next Friday at The Meadows, but the late-developing Captaintreacherous gelding showed his quality with a 1:50.1 victory, which equaled his mark. Vengeance Bluechip was outside most of the :27.3 first quarter to get the lead, but then strolled through midrace numbers of :55.4 and 1:23.2 before jetting home in :26.4 to win by five lengths. George Napolitano Jr. drove the sophomore for trainer Joe Pavia Jr. and the partnership of Vincent Ferriero Jr., John Whitig, Donald Kayser, and Pint Size Racing LLC.
 
The $1.2M Championship card for the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes’ four three-year-old Championships, plus consolations if filling, will be held at Pocono on Monday afternoon, September 9.
 
Track announcer Jim Beviglia had been saying all afternoon that if we had had weather conditions like Saturday’s when the Sun Stakes Saturday supercard had been held a week earlier, we likely would have seen more record miles. Beviglia’s thoughts were born out when, in the  $18,500 fast-class pace that was the second-last contest on the card, another son of Captaintreacherous, I Did It Myway, scorched the Pocono oval in 1:47.3, the fastest mile of 2024 at the mountain track.
 
Driver Matt Kakaley came from beyond midpack past the eighth in a prolonged brush to gain the lead with I Did It Myway, and after main rival South Beach Star had been parked well past a :25.3 opener to get the lead, I Did It Myway went right on up and grabbed control of the racetrack by a :53 half. The three-quarters came and went in 1:19.4, and Kakaley was the most comfortable person in the house through the stretch as his pacer went on to win by 3½ lengths over Stone Hanover, who had been left uncovered when the winner, who equaled his lifetime best, cleared.
 
I Did It Myway, a winner of $1,323,500 and now working on a four-race victory streak, is trained by Travis Alexander for owners David Hamm, EVM Racing LLC, and Glenn Phillips. The divisional track record for I Did It Myway’s group, older pacing horses, is also the all-time Pocono standard of 1:47, achieved by Sweet Lou once and Always B Miki twice.
 
Other swift miles on the card came from Pat McGarry A (1:48.3, equaling his mark) and Bugaboo Lou (a new mark of 1:50); fastest trotter was Bellissimo Face S, who froze the timer in 1:53.
 
A $15,000 conditioned trot will be the feature race when Pocono picks up action on Sunday at 6 p.m., and there will be a carryover into the last race Hi 5 wager, the final race on a Sunday at Pocono this season.  Free Pocono programs are available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
MEADVILLE PA – Track records for trotting fillies were turned by both a two-year-old and a three-year-old during Thursday (freshman) and Friday (sophomore) Pennsylvania Fair Sire Stakes racing at the Crawford County Fairgrounds in this city in the northwest portion of the state.
 
First to make her mark on the record books was Shalamar Hanover, a Cantab Hall – Setntheworldonfire filly who broke her maiden in 2:05.4, equaling the local standard shared by Lady Broadway (2012) and Ridinonarainbow (2018) and also serving as the fastest baby trot. Shalamar Hanover is trained and was driven by Todd Schadel, and he co-owns her with wife Christine. Also deserving of a shoutout in this section is fair season’s leader Classy Cocktail, who now has seven fair “A” wins for trainer/driver Tony Schadel, co-owner with wife Linda.
 
The fastest freshman was the Heston Blue Chip – Escape Girl gelding PHR, who went in 2:03.1 for driver Wayne Long and trainer-owner Oscar Johnson Jr. Wheelhouse Hanover, another winner in this division, is the only horse with eight fair “A” wins, and he’s done so while going undefeated on the twicearound circuit for trainer/driver Todd Schadel, also co-owner with son Cody.
 
Between the Thursday and Friday races, Bob Rougeaux III and Rich Gillock oversaw a crew giving the track a good working-over. Sam Beegle, president of the PHHA (and a double winner on Friday) said that he and many other horsemen were appreciative of them stepping up and working hard to make the racing better.
 
The Friday’s track record setter was the Fordham Road filly Loveyoubunches, whose fair campaign can best be told with numbers; eight starts, seven wins, five track records, including two all-age track records including the fastest mile ever at the fairs for her division (1:58.1), which is also the fastest trot of the year. At Meadville, she won in 2:00.2, erasing the 2:03 mark of Cheesy Hanover in 2021 for trainer/driver Todd Schadel and co-owners Christine Schadel and Rick and Regina Beinhauer. And if Loveyoubunches hadn’t reset the mark in the sixth race, twelve minutes later these same connections had the Bar Hopping filly Bar Talk win in 2:02.1 in a “B” division.
 
At the risk of repetitiveness, we must also report that Team Todd Schadel also had two three-year-old pacing males, both Betting Line geldings, sweep their “A” section and both post their sixth fair wins: Twigg’s Pub and Ante Up Hanover, the latter both the fastest performer at all 2024 fairs (1:57) and at this Meadville stand (1:59.3).
 
At the Dayton meet, we reported on 72-year-old Ronald Lubosco, who won his first race in 45 years with Good Queen Bess. Eight days later, the pair decided they liked winning so much that they did it again!
 
Again, no prize for guessing the leading driver and trainer. Tied for second in the drivers column were Sam Beegle, Aaron Johnston, Wayne Long, Tony Schadel, and Steve Schoeffel; on the trainers side, tied for second were Sam Beegle, Tony Schadel, and Steve Schoeffel.
 
The Pennsylvania fair season has only five more stops left, including the Erie County Fair in Wattsburg at 2 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday. Then comes Stoneboro, the 2-day and fair meets at Gratz, and Bloomsburg – the last chances for horses to gain enough points to be among the top eight in their division and earn a place in the $200,000 Pennsylvania Fair Sire Stakes Championship Night at The Meadows on Friday, October 11.               

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – Corey Callahan was the hot driver during the Friday afternoon card at Harrah’s Philadelphia, piloting six winners – although it took the crowd a little while to catch up with Corey, as his first five winners (none of them in features) all paid $16.20 or more for a $2 ticket.
                                                                                               
The Callahan sextet included a victory from Elektra A in the $13,000 featured distaff handicap pace. The daughter of Four Starzzz Shark left swiftly to gain command in a :26.2 initial panel, then yielded to favored Jeff Cullipher stablemate Uptown Hanover and sat behind her as she put up midsplits of :55 and 1:22.2. The winner came on in the lane to corral her barnmate by 1 ¼ lengths at the end of a 1:50.3 mile for driver Callahan and Pollack Racing LLC, who also owns the second-place finisher. Cullipher had two winners on the day, making the trainers race Dean Eckley 29, Cullipher and Per Engblom 28.     
 
In the $12,000 co-featured distaff pace (one of the few bigger prizes to elude Callahan), 18-1 shot Sandradimples held on gamely to win in 1:53. Half the field was involved in the :27 opening quarter, with Sandradimples making a second move just past a :55.2 half to open up a clear lead. Favored Genie Hanover came three-wide to challenge before the 1:23.4 three-quarters, with Knock Twice on her tail, and it was a stretchlong battle among those three. Sandradimples maintained her advantage by a neck over Genie Hanover, who just edged Knock Twice for the deuce. Johnathan Ahle guided the winning daughter of A Rocknroll Dance for trainer-owner Ray Baynes.
 
In the $12,000 high-priced claiming handicap pace, the American Ideal gelding Glacis looked buried on the wood behind contested fractions of :26.2, :55.3, and 1:23.2 and was still sixth midstretch, but driver Callahan angled him out to find a path, and he exploded to be along late in 1:51.4 over railshooting Franco. Michael Fiumenero trains and owns the winner of two of his last three.      
 
The day opened with the biggest surprise of the year at Philly, as Wardan Express A followed good cover behind a fast pace, then made her bid and got the job done at a $178.80 win mutuel. Chris Temming trains and owns the winner; for driver Callahan, the victory was his second of the meet with a $100+ winner, giving him the lead in that unofficial category, and the six wins moved him to sole fourth in the Philly win standings for sulkysitters.
 
Sunday’s 12:40 card at Philly will see two-year-old pacing colts race in their last preliminary leg of Pennsylvania Sire Stakes and Stallion Series action, trying to secure spots in the upcoming rich finales (Harrah’s Philly hosts all eight Stallion Series Championships, worth $320,000, on Sunday, September 8). There will also be a $3206.59 carryover into the fifth race Pick 5 wager. Free Philly programs are available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – Trainer/driver Åke Svanstedt burnished his already-fine statistics at Harrah’s Philadelphia (.392 UDR / .481 UTR) by winning both of the $12,000 featured events on the trot and also an $11,000 event for fast-class horses of hat gait on Thursday afternoon.
 
In the high-purse trots, It was the Six Pack sophomore colt Mr Bluebird who went slightly faster, 1:54.3. The winner got to the quarter in :27.4, got a Svanstedt breather to the :58.1 half, then went on to a 1:26.3 three-quarters and a last quarter of :28 to win for Åke Svanstedt Inc., Little E LLC, and Torbjorn Swahn Inc.
 
The Readly Express three-year-old colt Edvard Palema S earned a lifetime mark of 1:54.4 in taking his division despite missing 33 days. Edvard Palema S went to command past a :28.1 quarter, posted midrace times of :57.2 and 1:26.1, then finished out in :28.3 for Bender Sweden Inc., Åke Svanstedt Inc., and Flygind Gard Inc.
 
There was also a division of the $12,000 featured class carded for male pacers. In it, driver Tim Tetrick sensed a slowdown on the front end after a :27 quarter and rushed up the Captaintreacherous sophomore gelding to be in charge by the half in a mild :58. From there, the rest of the field could have no impact on Sudden Impact, who hit the three-quarters in 1:25.1 and sped on to a new mark of 1:52.4. Scott Di Domenico trains the winner for his Triple D Stables and Michael Rekoon.
 
Fastest of all the Svanstedt trotting victories was the 1:52.2 victory hung up by Kierkegaard K in the fast-class event, as the Swede Svanstedt certainly had no problem with a horse named after a Danish philosopher and owned by a resident of Singapore (Knutsson Trotting Inc.’s Tristan Sjoberg). The only geography Kierkegaard K needed was the shortest way home, on the lead through fractions of :27.3, :56, and 1:24.3.
 
Svanstedt and Tetrick tied for sulky honors with three wins on the day; Svanstedt was the only trainer to harness three winning horses.
 
Filly and mare pacers will be the headliners for Friday’s 12:25 card, which will also have a carryover into the fifth race Pick 5 wager, and then on Sunday at 12:40, Pennsylvania-sired two-year-old pacing colts will get their last chance to qualify for their upcoming Pennsylvania Sire Stakes and Stallion Series Championships, with three divisions of the PaSS crew and five fields of the StS horses. Free Philly programs are or will be available at www.phha.org.