By: Jerry Connors, Jr.
CHESTER PA – The favorites made breaks in the $13,500 Sunday feature for developing males at Harrah’s Philadelphia, which gave the opportunity to the Captaintreacherous gelding Combative to win in 1:52.4 after an aggressive steer.
Rooney In Tune forced tucks early in a :27.1 opener, with Combative second and Falkirk third after Best Chip lost his stride, and then heavy favorite Falkirk (who got an “i” call on his line after the early incident) moved off the first turn to command. As the chalk clicked off the half in :56.4, driver Mark Herschberger made a big brushing move with Combative, clearing into the backstretch and leaving Falkirk to flounder and then break stride trying to get back into the race. Combative, 9-1 on the board, got to the three-quarters in 1:24.2 and then had little trouble in the lane, with groundsaving Pyrenees Hanover (42-1) rallying for the deuce ahead of 20-1 Rooney In Tune, with Goodbye Stranger (30-1) fourth.
Joe Pavia Jr. trains the five-time seasonal winner for Steven Held, Pint Size Racing LLC, John Whitig, and Donald Kayser.
The $12,000 subfeatured pace for up-and-coming males was won in a cakewalk by the Tall Dark Stranger sophomore gelding Pack A Punch, who made the lead before the first turn for driver George Napolitano Jr., then threw a :55 last half haymaker that left his opposition far behind in a 1:51.4 mile. The winner of two of his last three succeeded for Team Cancelliere, trainer Tom and owner/brother John.
The top pace for the fast-class pacers carried a purse of $13,000, and in it Christopher Dance N won his fifth straight race after suffering an “ix” in his American debut. The son of Sweet Lou rallied in :25.4 in his last race to notch a dead-heat win with Lyons Steel; this time Johnathan Ahle took command after a :27.2 opener, posted middle fractions of :55 and 1:23, then needed “only” a :26.4 dash home to be well-clear of a late-closing Oakwood Heymiki IR in the 1:49.4 mile for trainer Jeff Cullipher and owner Pollack Racing LLC.
In the $11,000 second-level fast-class pace, Seven Colors, a son of Stay Hungry and a winner of $1,084,936, has now paced to a 1:49.3 victory in his last two starts at Philly despite hard early involvement. Starting from the outside post seven on Sunday, Seven Colors needed until the three-eighths to get the controls then had first-over pressure in wicked fractions (:25.4, :54.3, 1:22), but he showed his class and dug in for a three-quarter length victory over Wehadababyetzaboy for driver Jack Pelling and trainer Andrew Harris, the latter co-owner with William Pollock and Bruce Areman.
Speed honors on the day went to the Always A Virgin gelding Big Gulp, who sat in the two-hole behind huge fractions, moved out in the stretch, and reduced his lifetime mark to 1:49.2 for driver Simon Allard, trainer Ed Gannon Jr., and owners Jeff Fought Racing and Brian Carsey.
The Auckland Reactor N gelding Juddy Douglas A had a short but profitable stay with trainer Josue Garcia and owner Anthony Ventriglio, here taking his second straight $11,000 claiming handicap pace for the top-priced horses at the track while equaling his mark of 1:50.4. Jack Pelling moved “Juddy” for the second time to take over the lead in front of the grandstand, and then the pacer met a stern challenge from first-over Santafe’s Coach for the last three-eighths of a mile, finally defeating that rival by a half-length. Ventriglio and Garcia earned $11,000 in two starts with Juddy Douglas A, minus expenses, as he was claimed out of this event.
Jack Pelling took honors with four winning drives, for four trainers including his father Brett. Driving doublers were Simon Allard, Mark Herschberger, and Troy Beyer; Beyer’s is worth an extra mention because they both came for the meet’s leading Izzy Estrada, including a win payoff of $74.40 (one you don’t associate with meet leaders) with Capo Bovino.
Harrah’s Philadelphia will now be “dark” for live racing until Friday, October 10, as the racing surface gets a refurbishment; Harrah’s Philly will still be open for simulcasting.
CHESTER PA – The favorites made breaks in the $13,500 Sunday feature for developing males at Harrah’s Philadelphia, which gave the opportunity to the Captaintreacherous gelding Combative to win in 1:52.4 after an aggressive steer.
Rooney In Tune forced tucks early in a :27.1 opener, with Combative second and Falkirk third after Best Chip lost his stride, and then heavy favorite Falkirk (who got an “i” call on his line after the early incident) moved off the first turn to command. As the chalk clicked off the half in :56.4, driver Mark Herschberger made a big brushing move with Combative, clearing into the backstretch and leaving Falkirk to flounder and then break stride trying to get back into the race. Combative, 9-1 on the board, got to the three-quarters in 1:24.2 and then had little trouble in the lane, with groundsaving Pyrenees Hanover (42-1) rallying for the deuce ahead of 20-1 Rooney In Tune, with Goodbye Stranger (30-1) fourth.
Joe Pavia Jr. trains the five-time seasonal winner for Steven Held, Pint Size Racing LLC, John Whitig, and Donald Kayser.
The $12,000 subfeatured pace for up-and-coming males was won in a cakewalk by the Tall Dark Stranger sophomore gelding Pack A Punch, who made the lead before the first turn for driver George Napolitano Jr., then threw a :55 last half haymaker that left his opposition far behind in a 1:51.4 mile. The winner of two of his last three succeeded for Team Cancelliere, trainer Tom and owner/brother John.
The top pace for the fast-class pacers carried a purse of $13,000, and in it Christopher Dance N won his fifth straight race after suffering an “ix” in his American debut. The son of Sweet Lou rallied in :25.4 in his last race to notch a dead-heat win with Lyons Steel; this time Johnathan Ahle took command after a :27.2 opener, posted middle fractions of :55 and 1:23, then needed “only” a :26.4 dash home to be well-clear of a late-closing Oakwood Heymiki IR in the 1:49.4 mile for trainer Jeff Cullipher and owner Pollack Racing LLC.
In the $11,000 second-level fast-class pace, Seven Colors, a son of Stay Hungry and a winner of $1,084,936, has now paced to a 1:49.3 victory in his last two starts at Philly despite hard early involvement. Starting from the outside post seven on Sunday, Seven Colors needed until the three-eighths to get the controls then had first-over pressure in wicked fractions (:25.4, :54.3, 1:22), but he showed his class and dug in for a three-quarter length victory over Wehadababyetzaboy for driver Jack Pelling and trainer Andrew Harris, the latter co-owner with William Pollock and Bruce Areman.
Speed honors on the day went to the Always A Virgin gelding Big Gulp, who sat in the two-hole behind huge fractions, moved out in the stretch, and reduced his lifetime mark to 1:49.2 for driver Simon Allard, trainer Ed Gannon Jr., and owners Jeff Fought Racing and Brian Carsey.
The Auckland Reactor N gelding Juddy Douglas A had a short but profitable stay with trainer Josue Garcia and owner Anthony Ventriglio, here taking his second straight $11,000 claiming handicap pace for the top-priced horses at the track while equaling his mark of 1:50.4. Jack Pelling moved “Juddy” for the second time to take over the lead in front of the grandstand, and then the pacer met a stern challenge from first-over Santafe’s Coach for the last three-eighths of a mile, finally defeating that rival by a half-length. Ventriglio and Garcia earned $11,000 in two starts with Juddy Douglas A, minus expenses, as he was claimed out of this event.
Jack Pelling took honors with four winning drives, for four trainers including his father Brett. Driving doublers were Simon Allard, Mark Herschberger, and Troy Beyer; Beyer’s is worth an extra mention because they both came for the meet’s leading Izzy Estrada, including a win payoff of $74.40 (one you don’t associate with meet leaders) with Capo Bovino.
Harrah’s Philadelphia will now be “dark” for live racing until Friday, October 10, as the racing surface gets a refurbishment; Harrah’s Philly will still be open for simulcasting.
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