CHESTER PA – Three horses won off of cover, all second-over trips, during the Wednesday afternoon card at Harrah’s Philadelphia. Two of them were the feature races winners, and the other came in the last race as the only non-favorite of the day to emerge victorious.
Muscle M Up, a winner a level higher when last at Philly, reunited with the local surroundings successfully in taking the $18,000 feature level trot. The son of Muscle Hill tucked fourth early, then followed the first-over horse at the half under the guidance of Andrew McCarthy. The winner went three-wide at the ¾ and proved much the best in the stretch, winning by 3¼ lengths over Mississippi Storm in 1:54.1 to boost his seasonal earnings over six figures for trainer Åke Svanstedt and Knutsson Trotting Inc.
Philly favorite players had had things their way almost the entire card, with the first thirteen races going to the public choice – the longest such streak in recent (or not-so-recent) memory. But Kinda Lucky Lindy could not complete the favorite “sweep” – he went first-over against pacesetter Abbie’s Celticlass, yet could do no better than third as Perfect Stick and driver George Napolitano Jr. swung wide off cover and got by Abbie’s Celticlass by 2¾ lengths, with Kinda Lucky Lindy settling for third in the 1:55.3 mile. The winner, a Big Stick Lindy mare who paid $18.40, is trained by Anette Lorentzon for Yinson Quezada.
Harrah’s Philadelphia will be dark for live racing tomorrow, Thanksgiving; live racing will resume Friday at 12:25 p.m.