By: Jerry Connors, Jr.
CHESTER PA –The Always B Miki three-year-old Found found herself in the Harrah’s Philadelphia winners circle for the third time in as many 2025 starts, capturing the $12,000 featured pace for developing distaffs in 1:52.2.
Driver Jack Pelling, in the sulky for trainer-father Brett and Diamond Creek Racing, kept the fast filly midpack until being flushed out approaching the second bend. Found blitzed her own third quarter in :26.4 to easily clear before hitting the far curve, and she won by 3¼ lengths over Staycation, who sat the pocket then came back in the lane to decision pacesetting Santafe’s Gina for the deuce. Earlier this campaign, Found turned in a 1:49.2 over the local oval, a clocking which may explain why Found attracted $17,264 out of the $20,152 total win/place/show pool on Friday.
In the $11,000 fast-class handicap pace for distaffs, Take Your Pick, a daughter of JK Endofanera invading from Yonkers and sent off as the second choice, was pushed hard by favored Hers Hungry to get the lead in a :26.4 quarter, then hooked up again with that one in a :27 kicker, with Take Your Pick prevailing by a neck in 1:52.2. The frequent winner (8-for-14 this season, 18-for-54 lifetime) was driven by Tim Tetrick for trainer Jeff Cullipher and owner Pollack Racing LLC.
Jimmy Takter was lured back to the sulky in a maiden trot, behind the Tactical Landing sophomore colt Uncle Bjorn, and the first-time starter went from last at the quarter all the way to the winners circle, trotting his own back half in :57 to capture his bow in 1:57 for trainer/daughter Nancy, who is part of the ownership along with Christinatakter&Anderberg, John Fielding, and Fred Hertrich III.
It’s not hard to figure out why Takter, who has driven in only seven races since his last win, which came right here at Philly on November 3, 2022, took the sulky assignment – Uncle Bjorn’s dam is Solveig, like her driver a member of the Hall of Fame, dam of Trotter of the Year Shake It Cerry, and the dam of Uncle Bjorn’s half-brother by Walner, Joe Bo, who won a baby race here three days ago.
Tim Tetrick and George Napolitano Jr., between them the winners of the last 18 driving victory championships at Harrah’s and 1-2 respectively this year, each had a four-bagger on the Friday card. All four of Napolitano’s winners came from the rejuvenated Dean Eckley barn, while Tetrick guided two successful horses for Jeff Cullipher, making the current trainers standings read: Scott Di Domenico 17; Cullipher, Eckley, and Izzy Estrada each one off the lead at 16.
A 12:40 card on Sunday will close out the week’s racing at Harrah’s Philly on Sunday. The fast-class veterans will be featured in $13,000 and $11,000 events, with a combined seven horses in the two fields coming off victories. And next Thursday, two-year-old trotters will get their first taste of pari-mutuel action. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.
CHESTER PA –The Always B Miki three-year-old Found found herself in the Harrah’s Philadelphia winners circle for the third time in as many 2025 starts, capturing the $12,000 featured pace for developing distaffs in 1:52.2.
Driver Jack Pelling, in the sulky for trainer-father Brett and Diamond Creek Racing, kept the fast filly midpack until being flushed out approaching the second bend. Found blitzed her own third quarter in :26.4 to easily clear before hitting the far curve, and she won by 3¼ lengths over Staycation, who sat the pocket then came back in the lane to decision pacesetting Santafe’s Gina for the deuce. Earlier this campaign, Found turned in a 1:49.2 over the local oval, a clocking which may explain why Found attracted $17,264 out of the $20,152 total win/place/show pool on Friday.
In the $11,000 fast-class handicap pace for distaffs, Take Your Pick, a daughter of JK Endofanera invading from Yonkers and sent off as the second choice, was pushed hard by favored Hers Hungry to get the lead in a :26.4 quarter, then hooked up again with that one in a :27 kicker, with Take Your Pick prevailing by a neck in 1:52.2. The frequent winner (8-for-14 this season, 18-for-54 lifetime) was driven by Tim Tetrick for trainer Jeff Cullipher and owner Pollack Racing LLC.
Jimmy Takter was lured back to the sulky in a maiden trot, behind the Tactical Landing sophomore colt Uncle Bjorn, and the first-time starter went from last at the quarter all the way to the winners circle, trotting his own back half in :57 to capture his bow in 1:57 for trainer/daughter Nancy, who is part of the ownership along with Christinatakter&Anderberg, John Fielding, and Fred Hertrich III.
It’s not hard to figure out why Takter, who has driven in only seven races since his last win, which came right here at Philly on November 3, 2022, took the sulky assignment – Uncle Bjorn’s dam is Solveig, like her driver a member of the Hall of Fame, dam of Trotter of the Year Shake It Cerry, and the dam of Uncle Bjorn’s half-brother by Walner, Joe Bo, who won a baby race here three days ago.
Tim Tetrick and George Napolitano Jr., between them the winners of the last 18 driving victory championships at Harrah’s and 1-2 respectively this year, each had a four-bagger on the Friday card. All four of Napolitano’s winners came from the rejuvenated Dean Eckley barn, while Tetrick guided two successful horses for Jeff Cullipher, making the current trainers standings read: Scott Di Domenico 17; Cullipher, Eckley, and Izzy Estrada each one off the lead at 16.
A 12:40 card on Sunday will close out the week’s racing at Harrah’s Philly on Sunday. The fast-class veterans will be featured in $13,000 and $11,000 events, with a combined seven horses in the two fields coming off victories. And next Thursday, two-year-old trotters will get their first taste of pari-mutuel action. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.
RSS Feed
