Photo: Grace Zimmers
By: Jerry Connors, Jr.
CHESTER PA – “Captain” Corey Callahan drove the 8000th winner of his illustrious career on Friday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia, guiding I See A Star to a 1:56.1 victory in a $13,500 trotting contest for developing horses.
Callahan settled the Bar Hopping mare, the choice of the Friday Philly crowd, in fourth early and sat there during fractions of :28.2 and :57.4, then moved out to follow the cover of second choice Herecomesdajudge, who was advancing towards the 1:26.1 three-quarters. The “Judge” put in bad steps on the far turn, leaving Callahan and I See A Star uncovered but with a clear path to the front, and the pair won safely for trainer/owner Brian Emerson, with Herecomesdajudge regaining his equilibrium and closing well to regain second.
Callahan, 47, had seasonal highs in 2013, when he won 618 races, and 2015, when the horses he guided earned $9.8 million. “The Captain,” currently fifth in wins on the local scene and tied for third at Harrington, has been consistent for the better part of two decades now, and his lifetime earnings of $116.3 million put him 25th in the sport’s all-time annals. For 2025, he is 25th in North America in sulky successes and 18th in earnings.
Corey’s milestone triumph came in the co-feature of the afternoon; the headliner was a $14,000 event for trotters one step above that group on the classladder. The $260,000 yearling Little Expensive showed signs of possibly developing into being a good investment for the money, as he left to command from the outermost post for driver Tyler Miller and got early pedestrian fractions of :29 and :58.4, with major rival Frank Leahy in the pocket. The two-holer likely got “bottomed out” as the victorious Muscle Hill gelding unleashed a :26.4 third quarter to the 1:25.3 third pole, the continued out to an open length victory in 1:54.2.
That clocking represents the third-slowest of Little Expensive’s nine career vixtories; the five-year-old broke 1:55 in every win, with two of them at 1:54.3. The Julie Miller trainee, owned by Andy Miller Stable Inc., Jean Goehlen, and VIP Internet Stable LLC, may be one to watch in coming weeks.
George Napolitano Jr. widened his lead atop the Philly driver standings by guiding four horses back to Victory Lane on Friday.
There will be a special LIVE Kentucky Derby Day card of Standardbred racing Saturday, with first post at noon; patrons can of course stay and watch and wager on the big runners race from Kentucky in early evening. Philly will then close out its racing week on Sunday at 12:40. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.
CHESTER PA – “Captain” Corey Callahan drove the 8000th winner of his illustrious career on Friday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia, guiding I See A Star to a 1:56.1 victory in a $13,500 trotting contest for developing horses.
Callahan settled the Bar Hopping mare, the choice of the Friday Philly crowd, in fourth early and sat there during fractions of :28.2 and :57.4, then moved out to follow the cover of second choice Herecomesdajudge, who was advancing towards the 1:26.1 three-quarters. The “Judge” put in bad steps on the far turn, leaving Callahan and I See A Star uncovered but with a clear path to the front, and the pair won safely for trainer/owner Brian Emerson, with Herecomesdajudge regaining his equilibrium and closing well to regain second.
Callahan, 47, had seasonal highs in 2013, when he won 618 races, and 2015, when the horses he guided earned $9.8 million. “The Captain,” currently fifth in wins on the local scene and tied for third at Harrington, has been consistent for the better part of two decades now, and his lifetime earnings of $116.3 million put him 25th in the sport’s all-time annals. For 2025, he is 25th in North America in sulky successes and 18th in earnings.
Corey’s milestone triumph came in the co-feature of the afternoon; the headliner was a $14,000 event for trotters one step above that group on the classladder. The $260,000 yearling Little Expensive showed signs of possibly developing into being a good investment for the money, as he left to command from the outermost post for driver Tyler Miller and got early pedestrian fractions of :29 and :58.4, with major rival Frank Leahy in the pocket. The two-holer likely got “bottomed out” as the victorious Muscle Hill gelding unleashed a :26.4 third quarter to the 1:25.3 third pole, the continued out to an open length victory in 1:54.2.
That clocking represents the third-slowest of Little Expensive’s nine career vixtories; the five-year-old broke 1:55 in every win, with two of them at 1:54.3. The Julie Miller trainee, owned by Andy Miller Stable Inc., Jean Goehlen, and VIP Internet Stable LLC, may be one to watch in coming weeks.
George Napolitano Jr. widened his lead atop the Philly driver standings by guiding four horses back to Victory Lane on Friday.
There will be a special LIVE Kentucky Derby Day card of Standardbred racing Saturday, with first post at noon; patrons can of course stay and watch and wager on the big runners race from Kentucky in early evening. Philly will then close out its racing week on Sunday at 12:40. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.
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