By: Jerry Connors, Jr.
CHESTER PA – On a generally bad day for favorites (at least for most of the card), 13-1 shot B Nicking caught heavy favorite Yanks Dugout in the last step of the $16,200 featured trot Sunday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia, winning by the smallest possible margin while lowering her career best to 1:53.2.
Todd McCarthy got the Wishing Stone gelding away flat (something the horse had not accomplished in his last two starts) and fast, making the lead before ceding it to Yanks Dugout before the :27.2 quarter. Yanks Dugout rolled on to the half in :56.2 and the three-quarters in 1:24.3, with B Nicking coming outside at headstretch and catching the leader, who had won his last two starts in picture finishes. But today he was not quite so photogenic, which pleased B Nicking’s trainer Scott Di Domenico and owner Ben Roberts.
There were a pair of $15,300 events for developing horses. On the pace, the Huntsville gelding Hazeville won his sixth straight race, tallying in 1:50 for driver Todd McCarthy, trainer Tom Fanning, and owners David Rovine Stable LLC, VIP Internet Stable LLC, and Howard Taylor. Hazeville made the top nearing a :26.3 opening quarter, put up midsplits of :55.1 and 1:22.2, then won by 1¾ lengths, with pocketsitter Bounty Hunter beating first-over Sporty M Three by a nostril for the deuce.
On the trot, Senna set the pace with quarters of :27, :56.2, and 1:24.4, then prevailed in a new lifetime mark of 1:53.3 – and then had to survive an inquiry as he and challenger Betterinpinehurst were in tight just past midstretch. But the judges found no reason for placing the winning son of Trixton, and the three-quarter length victory stood for driver Todd McCarthy, who accomplished a sweep of the day’s featured events and who had five in all on the card, trainer Bob Shahan, and Elite Harness Racing LLC.
Fastest mile of the day was the 1:49.4 clocking turned in by the millionaire Workin Ona Mystery, a son of Captaintreacherous who rode the pocket behind fractions of :26.4, :55.1, and 1:22.2 before clearing inside and defeating a tough field for driver Tim Tetrick, trainer Ron Burke, and the ownership of Burke Racing Stable LLC, Milton Leeman, Alan Keith, and Wingfield Brothers LLC.
None of the winners above were sent off as the crowd favorite. The chalk did not prevail on the fourteen-race card until the eleventh event of the day – then did win the last four (including two American Harness Drivers Club paces).
Harrah’s Philadelphia is currently racing on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday at 12:25 p.m., and Sunday at 12:40 p.m.; next Sunday the cream of the Pennsylvania-sired three-year-old trotting male crop are coming to town, with perhaps a few considering the Hambletonian in just over a month’s time. Program pages for all races at Harrah’s Philadelphia are or will be available at https://www.phha.org/harrahspps.html.
CHESTER PA – On a generally bad day for favorites (at least for most of the card), 13-1 shot B Nicking caught heavy favorite Yanks Dugout in the last step of the $16,200 featured trot Sunday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia, winning by the smallest possible margin while lowering her career best to 1:53.2.
Todd McCarthy got the Wishing Stone gelding away flat (something the horse had not accomplished in his last two starts) and fast, making the lead before ceding it to Yanks Dugout before the :27.2 quarter. Yanks Dugout rolled on to the half in :56.2 and the three-quarters in 1:24.3, with B Nicking coming outside at headstretch and catching the leader, who had won his last two starts in picture finishes. But today he was not quite so photogenic, which pleased B Nicking’s trainer Scott Di Domenico and owner Ben Roberts.
There were a pair of $15,300 events for developing horses. On the pace, the Huntsville gelding Hazeville won his sixth straight race, tallying in 1:50 for driver Todd McCarthy, trainer Tom Fanning, and owners David Rovine Stable LLC, VIP Internet Stable LLC, and Howard Taylor. Hazeville made the top nearing a :26.3 opening quarter, put up midsplits of :55.1 and 1:22.2, then won by 1¾ lengths, with pocketsitter Bounty Hunter beating first-over Sporty M Three by a nostril for the deuce.
On the trot, Senna set the pace with quarters of :27, :56.2, and 1:24.4, then prevailed in a new lifetime mark of 1:53.3 – and then had to survive an inquiry as he and challenger Betterinpinehurst were in tight just past midstretch. But the judges found no reason for placing the winning son of Trixton, and the three-quarter length victory stood for driver Todd McCarthy, who accomplished a sweep of the day’s featured events and who had five in all on the card, trainer Bob Shahan, and Elite Harness Racing LLC.
Fastest mile of the day was the 1:49.4 clocking turned in by the millionaire Workin Ona Mystery, a son of Captaintreacherous who rode the pocket behind fractions of :26.4, :55.1, and 1:22.2 before clearing inside and defeating a tough field for driver Tim Tetrick, trainer Ron Burke, and the ownership of Burke Racing Stable LLC, Milton Leeman, Alan Keith, and Wingfield Brothers LLC.
None of the winners above were sent off as the crowd favorite. The chalk did not prevail on the fourteen-race card until the eleventh event of the day – then did win the last four (including two American Harness Drivers Club paces).
Harrah’s Philadelphia is currently racing on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday at 12:25 p.m., and Sunday at 12:40 p.m.; next Sunday the cream of the Pennsylvania-sired three-year-old trotting male crop are coming to town, with perhaps a few considering the Hambletonian in just over a month’s time. Program pages for all races at Harrah’s Philadelphia are or will be available at https://www.phha.org/harrahspps.html.
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