By: Jerry Connors, Jr.
CHESTER PA – Joe Bongiorno had a banner day at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Saturday afternoon, driving five winners, three from his own barn (which is the meet leader in wins). These totals include Ayr Dave GB winning in the $14,000 featured pace for developing males, taking a mark of 1:50.1.
The son of Sweet Lou, owned by Mr. Joby Charles Randall from across the pond, paid a very high price for gaining command – three-wide early, then two-wide before finally securing the top in a blazing :25.4 – but that tends to be the Bongiorno style, and the pair made the tactics successful. Ayr Dave GB bottomed out the field by going on to midsplits of :54.2 and 1:21.3, and favored Sonofanutcracker just had too far to rally, coming up three quarters of a length shy.
The co-feature was a $13,000 pace for the fast-class grouping, which was won by the Always B Miki gelding Back Pocket Miki, never better while reducing his mark to 1:49.3, Simon Allard moved the in-form pacer uncovered past a :26 opener and grinded through midfractions of :54.1 and 1:21, but the arduous journey had little effect on the 2½ length winner. Owned by George & Tina Dennis Racing, Back Pocket Miki was one of two winners trained by Joe Columbo and driven by Allard, who had three victories in all Sunday.
Fastest mile of the day was the 1:49.1 career mark turned in by the Sweet Lou sophomore gelding Superchamp Hanover, who merely went down the road in a “nw 3” pace in :26.3, :54.4, and 1:21.2 while winning by fourteen lengths for Joe P Racing LLC, Fiddler’s Creek Stables LLC, and Alexander Racing Stable LLC. Joe Bongiorno drove Superchamp Hanover; we mentioned that three of his five Sunday winners came from his own barn, and the two other ones were trained by Travis Alexander, including this one.
Harrah’s Philly has had little luck the last two Thursdays, with a cancellation due to extreme heat followed by a program that had to be abandoned after three races due to heavy rain. The forecast looks better for this “Trottin’ Thursday,” with its strong mixture of diagonally-gaited horses. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.
CHESTER PA – Joe Bongiorno had a banner day at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Saturday afternoon, driving five winners, three from his own barn (which is the meet leader in wins). These totals include Ayr Dave GB winning in the $14,000 featured pace for developing males, taking a mark of 1:50.1.
The son of Sweet Lou, owned by Mr. Joby Charles Randall from across the pond, paid a very high price for gaining command – three-wide early, then two-wide before finally securing the top in a blazing :25.4 – but that tends to be the Bongiorno style, and the pair made the tactics successful. Ayr Dave GB bottomed out the field by going on to midsplits of :54.2 and 1:21.3, and favored Sonofanutcracker just had too far to rally, coming up three quarters of a length shy.
The co-feature was a $13,000 pace for the fast-class grouping, which was won by the Always B Miki gelding Back Pocket Miki, never better while reducing his mark to 1:49.3, Simon Allard moved the in-form pacer uncovered past a :26 opener and grinded through midfractions of :54.1 and 1:21, but the arduous journey had little effect on the 2½ length winner. Owned by George & Tina Dennis Racing, Back Pocket Miki was one of two winners trained by Joe Columbo and driven by Allard, who had three victories in all Sunday.
Fastest mile of the day was the 1:49.1 career mark turned in by the Sweet Lou sophomore gelding Superchamp Hanover, who merely went down the road in a “nw 3” pace in :26.3, :54.4, and 1:21.2 while winning by fourteen lengths for Joe P Racing LLC, Fiddler’s Creek Stables LLC, and Alexander Racing Stable LLC. Joe Bongiorno drove Superchamp Hanover; we mentioned that three of his five Sunday winners came from his own barn, and the two other ones were trained by Travis Alexander, including this one.
Harrah’s Philly has had little luck the last two Thursdays, with a cancellation due to extreme heat followed by a program that had to be abandoned after three races due to heavy rain. The forecast looks better for this “Trottin’ Thursday,” with its strong mixture of diagonally-gaited horses. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.
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