CHESTER PA – The betting favorites did not let the crowd down during the two $16,000 features on the Wednesday afternoon card at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
First up was the contest for pacing males, and the crowd naturally went to the American Ideal sophomore colt Artie’s Ideal, who had finished third, beaten only a neck, in his Little Brown Jug elimination, and was second in the New York Sire Stakes final to Hickfromfrenchlick. And Artie’s Ideal did not disappoint from the pole, going coast-to-coast in 1:52.2 with a 1¾ length margin over Smackitwithahammer at the wire. The father/son team of driver Marcus and trainer Erv Miller saw the three-year-old boost his bankroll to $345,078 lifetime for Bay Pond Racing Stable.
Drivers Tetrick and Dexter Dunn were joined by trainer Mark Harder in having thee visits to Victory Lane on the Wednesday card.