By: Jerry Connors, Jr.
CHESTER PA – Young pacing females seeking to compete at a higher rung (and purse level) of the class ladder squared off in the Friday features, worth $12,000, at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
The quicker of the two races saw many of those out to contest the early lead get shuffled when the eventual pacesetter tired down the backstretch; getting out into a live flow was the Sweet Lou mare Spicy Story, who then ducked inside and outclosed Ginger Tree Rose by a neck in a lifetime best of 1:52.3. Spicy Story was niftily steered by Troy Beyer for trainer Stacy Chiodo and owner Donald Wolf.
In the other feature section, the Captaintreacherous sophomore filly Act Classy got a cushy two-hole ride behind $350,000 yearling Supermax Contract through moderate fractions, then left that one and the rest of the opposition well behind while stopping the timer in 1:53.1. Patrick Ryder drove the winner for trainer-father Chris Ryder and Strideline Racing.
There were also a pair of $11,000 pacing contests for two-year-old pacing fillies, with driver Tyler Buter and trainer Hunter Oakes invading from Pocono with two talented two-year-olds who had won two qualifiers and here made their pari-mutuel debuts successfully. One was the Papi Rob Hanover – OK Heavenly miss Imagine Heaven, who vacated the two-hole near the five-eighths then stormed home in :54.3 to win in a brisk 1:54.2, auguring good things to come for owners Flying A Racing Stable, Lucky Strike, and Charles Oakes. (Imagine Heaven’s half-brother Dandy Ideal is/was in the Messenger Final later on Friday.)
Flying A also shares ownership (with Chuck Pompey) of the other Buter/Oakes precocious baby, Tall Dark Tequila, who worked to the lead before the quarter then flashed back splits of :56.2 - :27.2 to take a maiden mark of 1:56.1. Tall Dark Tequila is by Tall Dark Stranger – Tequila Monday, the dam a winner of almost seven figures and a world champion.
Four-time defending Philly driving champion Tim Tetrick had three wins on the day, as did Mark Herschberger, who has now worked his way up to ninth in the standings.
Racing resumes at Philly on Sunday at 12:40 p.m. Starting this coming Wednesday (July 2), Harrah’s Philadelphia will have a live 12:25 program on that day on the five Wednesdays in July. Also, the post time for the Fourth Of July Friday has been switched to 12:40. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.
CHESTER PA – Young pacing females seeking to compete at a higher rung (and purse level) of the class ladder squared off in the Friday features, worth $12,000, at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
The quicker of the two races saw many of those out to contest the early lead get shuffled when the eventual pacesetter tired down the backstretch; getting out into a live flow was the Sweet Lou mare Spicy Story, who then ducked inside and outclosed Ginger Tree Rose by a neck in a lifetime best of 1:52.3. Spicy Story was niftily steered by Troy Beyer for trainer Stacy Chiodo and owner Donald Wolf.
In the other feature section, the Captaintreacherous sophomore filly Act Classy got a cushy two-hole ride behind $350,000 yearling Supermax Contract through moderate fractions, then left that one and the rest of the opposition well behind while stopping the timer in 1:53.1. Patrick Ryder drove the winner for trainer-father Chris Ryder and Strideline Racing.
There were also a pair of $11,000 pacing contests for two-year-old pacing fillies, with driver Tyler Buter and trainer Hunter Oakes invading from Pocono with two talented two-year-olds who had won two qualifiers and here made their pari-mutuel debuts successfully. One was the Papi Rob Hanover – OK Heavenly miss Imagine Heaven, who vacated the two-hole near the five-eighths then stormed home in :54.3 to win in a brisk 1:54.2, auguring good things to come for owners Flying A Racing Stable, Lucky Strike, and Charles Oakes. (Imagine Heaven’s half-brother Dandy Ideal is/was in the Messenger Final later on Friday.)
Flying A also shares ownership (with Chuck Pompey) of the other Buter/Oakes precocious baby, Tall Dark Tequila, who worked to the lead before the quarter then flashed back splits of :56.2 - :27.2 to take a maiden mark of 1:56.1. Tall Dark Tequila is by Tall Dark Stranger – Tequila Monday, the dam a winner of almost seven figures and a world champion.
Four-time defending Philly driving champion Tim Tetrick had three wins on the day, as did Mark Herschberger, who has now worked his way up to ninth in the standings.
Racing resumes at Philly on Sunday at 12:40 p.m. Starting this coming Wednesday (July 2), Harrah’s Philadelphia will have a live 12:25 program on that day on the five Wednesdays in July. Also, the post time for the Fourth Of July Friday has been switched to 12:40. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.
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