By: Jerry Connors, Jr.
CHESTER PA – The Sebastian K S five-year-old gelding Benjamin Hanover, who set a divisional track record over the Harrah’s Philadelphia surface last season, returned to the southeast Pennsylvania oval on Thursday afternoon and promptly posted a wire-to-wire 1:52.4 victory in the $15,000 fast-class handicap trot.
Four-time defending Philly driving champion Tim Tetrick had “Benjamin” boiling off the gate and quickly grabbed the racetrack, the favorite setting fractions of :27.4, :56.2, and 1:24.2, with second choice Golden Rain S sitting in the two-hole and third choice Once In A Lifetime moving up to challenge uncovered late in the backstretch. But the biggest danger to Benjamin Hanover in the stretch was 79-1 shot Rivers, who angled wide for room and got to within a half length of the winner at the wire.
Benjamin Hanover, now 25-for-43 lifetime with earnings of $256,630, is trained by Scott DiDomenico for owner Angela Corelli, and he seems a possible contender for the $100,000 Maxie Lee Trot, one of three six-figure Invitationals for older performers set for Philly’s “Super Sunday” on May 26.
In a $14,000 trot for horses climbing the classladder, Chipper Dale earned a fourth straight victory while winning in 1:54.2. The Shake It Off Lindy gelding raced to the point in :28, got a breather to :57.3 half, then hit the three-quarters in 1:25.4 before coming home in commanding fashion, two lengths to the good of Soar Higher.
The chalk winner was driven by Andrew McCarthy for trainer Per Engblom and the ownership of Evans Nation, Jeff Fought Racing, and Brian Carsey. Now a four-year-old, Chipper Dale sports lifetime statistics of 24-for-38 and $305,153 after being the dominant force in the Maine Sire Stakes at two and three.
The “top winner” tag for the day in the horsemen’s colony has to go to Team Orange Crush: son Tyler drove three winners, mom Julie trained all three, and dad Andy owns a share in the trio of victors. Also red-hot were the Philly bettors, whose favorites won eleven of the fourteen races, including eight in a row at one juncture.
Friday’s racing starts at 12:25, with up-and-coming trotters in the spotlight; Sunday’s 12:40 card will feature a mixture of developing and fast-class pacers. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.
CHESTER PA – The Sebastian K S five-year-old gelding Benjamin Hanover, who set a divisional track record over the Harrah’s Philadelphia surface last season, returned to the southeast Pennsylvania oval on Thursday afternoon and promptly posted a wire-to-wire 1:52.4 victory in the $15,000 fast-class handicap trot.
Four-time defending Philly driving champion Tim Tetrick had “Benjamin” boiling off the gate and quickly grabbed the racetrack, the favorite setting fractions of :27.4, :56.2, and 1:24.2, with second choice Golden Rain S sitting in the two-hole and third choice Once In A Lifetime moving up to challenge uncovered late in the backstretch. But the biggest danger to Benjamin Hanover in the stretch was 79-1 shot Rivers, who angled wide for room and got to within a half length of the winner at the wire.
Benjamin Hanover, now 25-for-43 lifetime with earnings of $256,630, is trained by Scott DiDomenico for owner Angela Corelli, and he seems a possible contender for the $100,000 Maxie Lee Trot, one of three six-figure Invitationals for older performers set for Philly’s “Super Sunday” on May 26.
In a $14,000 trot for horses climbing the classladder, Chipper Dale earned a fourth straight victory while winning in 1:54.2. The Shake It Off Lindy gelding raced to the point in :28, got a breather to :57.3 half, then hit the three-quarters in 1:25.4 before coming home in commanding fashion, two lengths to the good of Soar Higher.
The chalk winner was driven by Andrew McCarthy for trainer Per Engblom and the ownership of Evans Nation, Jeff Fought Racing, and Brian Carsey. Now a four-year-old, Chipper Dale sports lifetime statistics of 24-for-38 and $305,153 after being the dominant force in the Maine Sire Stakes at two and three.
The “top winner” tag for the day in the horsemen’s colony has to go to Team Orange Crush: son Tyler drove three winners, mom Julie trained all three, and dad Andy owns a share in the trio of victors. Also red-hot were the Philly bettors, whose favorites won eleven of the fourteen races, including eight in a row at one juncture.
Friday’s racing starts at 12:25, with up-and-coming trotters in the spotlight; Sunday’s 12:40 card will feature a mixture of developing and fast-class pacers. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.
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