CHESTER PA – The Well Said mare Caviart Cherie is at a career peak at the end of her six-year-old form, taking a 1:50.1 lifetime mark despite temperatures only ten degrees above freezing in the $11,600 distaff handicap pacing feature Wednesday at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
Anthony Napolitano got sharp gate speed out of Caviart Cherie and she went right to the lead, forcing favored New Year to tuck behind her, then yielding to Eclipse Me N after a :26.1 quarter. The Kiwi pacesetter hit the half in :54.4, then had the favorite come at her down the backstretch, with the pair battling to a 1:22 three-quarters and around the turn, with “Cherie” perched right behind them.
The Westwardho Hanover mare Royaltywestho went to the lead early in a $10,000 fast-class distaff subfeature pace, backed off the half to :57.1, then was uncatchable as she finished out the mile in 1:53.3, with favored Apple Bottom Jeans 1½ lengths in arrears. Yannick Gingras was at the controls of the Ron Burke trainee for Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver-Bruscemi LLC.
In the first of two $11,200 events for developing distaff pacers, the Captaintreacherous sophomore Rydia Hanover and driver Todd McCarthy weren’t looking back in fractions of :26.2, :55.2, and 1:23.2, and even though she could come her last quarter in only :31, she had enough to withstand favored Krispy Ginger by a neck, with the 1:54.2 clocking a lifetime best. The fleet filly won for the twelfth time this year, most of the wins coming over half-milers, for trainer Joe Karrat and owner John Kreiser.
In the other section, the Roll With Joe filly Moaning Lisa pulled the pocket nearing the three-quarters and went past pacesetting Joe’s Sign to win by 3 1/2 lengths while taking a new mark of 1:52.3 on the chill day. Dexter Dunn drove the three-year-old for trainer Chris Ryder and the ownership of Let It Ride Stables Inc. and Bottom Line Racing LLC.