CLEAR FOR LANDING AGAIN A CLEAR WINNER AT PHILLY

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – If the Tactical Landing gelding Clear For Landing can just avoid breaks, interference, and Super Chapter, he’s proving to be a hard customer to handle, as he posted his second straight victory in the $13,000 top fast-class event on “Trottin’ Thursday” at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
 
Corey Callahan kept the trotter, now 14-for-33 in his career, in midpack before coming first-over past the five eighths. Clear For Landing took it from there, grinding up to pacesetter Greenspan, then passing that one in winning by 1¼ lengths while trotting his back half raw in :56. Petter Engblom trains the talented trotter for Consus Racing Stable Inc.
 
There was a pair of $12,000 trots for horses a couple of rungs lower on the development pole, taken by a 1-2 shot and a longshot who beat a 1-2 shot. The outsider was the mare Luna Landing, another Tactical Landing offspring, who came to Philly after a good mile at the Woodstock (VA) Fair, still was let go at 17-1, and couldn’t be caught. She dashed home in :57.2 to post a neck victory over the oncoming Allioop Hanover in a lifetime best 1:55.3 for driver-trainer Francisco Del Cid and Dumain Haven Farm LLC.
 
Living up to the crowd’s expectations was the Credit Winner sophomore colt Saint Patrick, apologizing for double beaten favorite status by coming out of the pocket then winning easily in 1:56. Patrick Ryder had the steer behind Jake Leamon trainee for Patrick McCann.
 
“Captain” Corey Callahan commanded the horsepeople’s categories on Thursday with four sulky victories. Winning twice were trainer Petter Engblom (both driven by Callahan), Johnathan Ahle, and Patrick Ryder.
 
Friday’s 12:25 card has female pacers in the spotlight: a $16,000 fast-class handicap event, and a $14,000 contest for improving horses. There will also be a carryover into the fifth race Pick 5 wager. Then the riverside oval will race a special 6 p.m. card on Saturday celebrating Harrah’s 20thAnniversary, with the revival of the Colonial and Colonial Lady Trot (the latter featuring PaSS champion Little Road), and the #senditin Invitational pace headed by Ruthless Hanover, whose 1:46.3f mile here three years ago still is as the standard for five-eighth mile tracks. The day after the Anniversary card would normally be a racing Sunday, but the track will be dark on that date.
 
Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.