By: Jerry Connors, Jr.
CHESTER PA – Johnathan Ahle drove the 1000th winner of his still-young career on Friday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia, guiding the Stay Hungry filly Staying At Tony’s to a 1:53 victory in one of two $12,000 features for developing pacing distaffs. The filly and Ahle wasted little time making the top, and the pair was not threatened in the victory, winning by 2¼ lengths for trainer Tony Alagna, whose Alagna Racing LLC co-owns the winner with Brad Grant.
Ahle, 29, was working in the restaurant business after graduating high school when learning that Shaun Vallee, based nearby, needed some extra help at his barn, as he was going on a Down Under mission. Ahle, who had not worked with racehorses before, took to his new environment immediately and worked under Vallee and Noel Daley, eventually bridging into amateur driving, where he showed talent quickly. In August of 2022 Ahle decided to become a full-time catch-driver, and he has posted over 950 of his 1000 winners since then. The fact the milestone win came behind an Alagna horse also is representative of the confidence that many top trainers have developed in him.
The other division of the featured class was won by the Sweet Lou filly Lou’sbodaciousgirl, who finished third in a PA Stallion Stake in her previous start and showed an appreciation for the drop in company by working to the lead by the quarter and going on to a 1:54 victory. Eternal Dream was second, 1½ lengths behind the Britney Dillon-trained winner, who was driven by George Napolitano Jr. for owner William Hartt.
Fast-class mares went gateward in an $11,500 handicap pace, with the Downbytheseaside mare Factory Girl following up a win at Yonkers with a victory in the sharp time of 1:51.2. Joe Bongiorno moved the Scott Di Domenico trainee to the lead in the second quarter around Neil’s Diamond, then withstood a late comeback bid from the pocketsitter by a neck for owner Angela Cornell.
Eight-time Philly leading driver George Napolitano Jr. topped the sulky set with four visits to Victory Lane, two of them for trainer Dean Eckley. Joe Bongiorno piloted three winners, including two from his own meet-leading stable, and Simon Allard won the last race to tie him with Bongiorno at three.
The best card of the year to date at Harrah’s Philadelphia will take place on Sunday at 12:40, when millionaires Captain Optimistic and Maximus Miki will both make their 2026 debuts in a $20,000 Open handicap pace. That “best card of the year” designation will last for exactly seven days, as on May 24 Philly will host its annual “Super Sunday,” with three $100,000 Invitationals for top free-for-all horses joining with Pennsylvania Sire Stakes action for the glamour boys of the three-year-old pacing male division. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.
CHESTER PA – Johnathan Ahle drove the 1000th winner of his still-young career on Friday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia, guiding the Stay Hungry filly Staying At Tony’s to a 1:53 victory in one of two $12,000 features for developing pacing distaffs. The filly and Ahle wasted little time making the top, and the pair was not threatened in the victory, winning by 2¼ lengths for trainer Tony Alagna, whose Alagna Racing LLC co-owns the winner with Brad Grant.
Ahle, 29, was working in the restaurant business after graduating high school when learning that Shaun Vallee, based nearby, needed some extra help at his barn, as he was going on a Down Under mission. Ahle, who had not worked with racehorses before, took to his new environment immediately and worked under Vallee and Noel Daley, eventually bridging into amateur driving, where he showed talent quickly. In August of 2022 Ahle decided to become a full-time catch-driver, and he has posted over 950 of his 1000 winners since then. The fact the milestone win came behind an Alagna horse also is representative of the confidence that many top trainers have developed in him.
The other division of the featured class was won by the Sweet Lou filly Lou’sbodaciousgirl, who finished third in a PA Stallion Stake in her previous start and showed an appreciation for the drop in company by working to the lead by the quarter and going on to a 1:54 victory. Eternal Dream was second, 1½ lengths behind the Britney Dillon-trained winner, who was driven by George Napolitano Jr. for owner William Hartt.
Fast-class mares went gateward in an $11,500 handicap pace, with the Downbytheseaside mare Factory Girl following up a win at Yonkers with a victory in the sharp time of 1:51.2. Joe Bongiorno moved the Scott Di Domenico trainee to the lead in the second quarter around Neil’s Diamond, then withstood a late comeback bid from the pocketsitter by a neck for owner Angela Cornell.
Eight-time Philly leading driver George Napolitano Jr. topped the sulky set with four visits to Victory Lane, two of them for trainer Dean Eckley. Joe Bongiorno piloted three winners, including two from his own meet-leading stable, and Simon Allard won the last race to tie him with Bongiorno at three.
The best card of the year to date at Harrah’s Philadelphia will take place on Sunday at 12:40, when millionaires Captain Optimistic and Maximus Miki will both make their 2026 debuts in a $20,000 Open handicap pace. That “best card of the year” designation will last for exactly seven days, as on May 24 Philly will host its annual “Super Sunday,” with three $100,000 Invitationals for top free-for-all horses joining with Pennsylvania Sire Stakes action for the glamour boys of the three-year-old pacing male division. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.
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