By: Jerry Connors, Jr.
CHESTER PA – Captain Crusader A, a son of Captaintreacherous, parlayed a lively second-over trip into a narrow victory over pocketsitting Virgo in the $13,000 headlining fast-class pace Sunday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
Virgo used track geometry to maximum advantage, leaving hard from the rail and forcing favored Rockin Jukebox, starting outside him, to soon take back. Ignatius A was three-wide early and pressed on past the :27 quarter, making the lead under the wire the first time. After reaching the half in :55.2, Ignatius A received hard outside pressure from Rockin Jukebox that extended well past the 1:23 three-quarters, with Captain Crusader A swinging wide off his good cover and Virgo ducking inside for the stretch action.
The late battle came down to the two last-named horses, with Captain Crusader A able to outfinish Virgo by the smallest possible margin in the 1:50.3 mile. Jack Pelling drove the winner of $433,868 and two straight races for trainer Jeff Cullipher and Pollack Racing LLC.
Co-featured was a $12,000 pace for developing male pacers; in it the Papi Rob Hanover sophomore gelding Waterfront was away swiftly from the rail and forced a post lineup, then was able to easily march home first while winning in 1:53.4. Simon Allard had the driving assignment from trainer Hunter Oakes, whose H O Racing Inc. shares ownership with Flying A Racing Stable, Alan Johnston, and Donald Mac Rae.
An $11,000 claiming handicap pace for the highest-priced tagged horses on the grounds was taken by the Heston Blue Chip gelding Hello Gorgeous in 1:52.3. Troy Beyer chased after the winner early to get him to the top, and after that the winner of two straight did not have many anxious moments. Izzy Estrada, the track’s top trainer, also owns the winner as Estrada Racing LLC.
Johnathan Ahle had the top horsemen’s figure with four victories; Jack Pelling guided three winners, and doubles were recorded by driver Troy Beyer and trainers Izzy Estrada and Shaun Vallee.
Philly has a current main schedule of Thursdays and Friday at 12:25 and Sundays at 12:40. Thursday’s card will feature a carryover into the fifth race Pick 5 wagering pool.
This coming Friday, September 5, Harrah’s Philadelphia is proud to be hosting $1,500,000 of races featuring some of the best in North American harness racing: four $300,000 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Championship for the quartet of two-year-old divisions, with contestants having earned the most points in four prelims; $50,000 consolations in each group for the horses next in line from the prelims; and a $50,000 Invitational pace and a pair of $25,000 contests, for top trotters and fast pacing distaffs. This card will be drawn on Tuesday, and entries should be available by mid-afternoon.
The track will be dark from October 2-9 for its annual refurbishing of the racing surface.
Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.
CHESTER PA – Captain Crusader A, a son of Captaintreacherous, parlayed a lively second-over trip into a narrow victory over pocketsitting Virgo in the $13,000 headlining fast-class pace Sunday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
Virgo used track geometry to maximum advantage, leaving hard from the rail and forcing favored Rockin Jukebox, starting outside him, to soon take back. Ignatius A was three-wide early and pressed on past the :27 quarter, making the lead under the wire the first time. After reaching the half in :55.2, Ignatius A received hard outside pressure from Rockin Jukebox that extended well past the 1:23 three-quarters, with Captain Crusader A swinging wide off his good cover and Virgo ducking inside for the stretch action.
The late battle came down to the two last-named horses, with Captain Crusader A able to outfinish Virgo by the smallest possible margin in the 1:50.3 mile. Jack Pelling drove the winner of $433,868 and two straight races for trainer Jeff Cullipher and Pollack Racing LLC.
Co-featured was a $12,000 pace for developing male pacers; in it the Papi Rob Hanover sophomore gelding Waterfront was away swiftly from the rail and forced a post lineup, then was able to easily march home first while winning in 1:53.4. Simon Allard had the driving assignment from trainer Hunter Oakes, whose H O Racing Inc. shares ownership with Flying A Racing Stable, Alan Johnston, and Donald Mac Rae.
An $11,000 claiming handicap pace for the highest-priced tagged horses on the grounds was taken by the Heston Blue Chip gelding Hello Gorgeous in 1:52.3. Troy Beyer chased after the winner early to get him to the top, and after that the winner of two straight did not have many anxious moments. Izzy Estrada, the track’s top trainer, also owns the winner as Estrada Racing LLC.
Johnathan Ahle had the top horsemen’s figure with four victories; Jack Pelling guided three winners, and doubles were recorded by driver Troy Beyer and trainers Izzy Estrada and Shaun Vallee.
Philly has a current main schedule of Thursdays and Friday at 12:25 and Sundays at 12:40. Thursday’s card will feature a carryover into the fifth race Pick 5 wagering pool.
This coming Friday, September 5, Harrah’s Philadelphia is proud to be hosting $1,500,000 of races featuring some of the best in North American harness racing: four $300,000 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Championship for the quartet of two-year-old divisions, with contestants having earned the most points in four prelims; $50,000 consolations in each group for the horses next in line from the prelims; and a $50,000 Invitational pace and a pair of $25,000 contests, for top trotters and fast pacing distaffs. This card will be drawn on Tuesday, and entries should be available by mid-afternoon.
The track will be dark from October 2-9 for its annual refurbishing of the racing surface.
Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.
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