By: Jerry Connors, Jr.
CHESTER PA – On a day where speed held up well at the Harrah’s Philadelphia oval, the Lather Up filly Katies Up left hard from the outside post eight and made every pole a winning one in the $12,000 Friday afternoon feature for distaff pacers.
Jack Pelling and his sophomore charge had to pay a :26.4 price to claim command at the first station, then continued on to middle splits of :55.2 and 1:23. Always In Flight made a hard pass at the leader down the back, fell back a bit on the turn, but then was resurgent late to miss only a half length to the winner, who took a new mark. Per Engblom, leading trainer at the southeastern Pennsylvania oval, sent out the winner for Morrison Racing Stables.
After six of the first eight contests went to frontenders and another was won by a pocket rocket, the team of driver Anthony Morgan and trainer Chris Temming tried to take advantage of the bias by putting on a speed show in the two high-priced claimers, but had to settle for second in both races.
In the $11,500 division favored Twig tried to make it three of his last four while setting splits of :27. :56, and 1:23.4, but he was beaten out a neck by the two-hole-sitting Shrimp And Grits, whom David Miller got to the wire first in 1:52.3. The winning son of Shadow Play is quite a story for trainer Izzy Estrada and his Estrada Racing LLC – he has now won nine of his last ten starts while rising from a $7500 tag to today’s $25,000 price.
Flip My Chip, a 13-1 proposition, put on an even “bigger” speed show in the $11,000 split of the high claimers, rattling off Open-like fractions of :25.3, :53.2, and 1:22.1. He kept his advantage on all but the Sweet Lou gelding Flashy Dude, who came from twelve lengths out at the half to beat the leader by a length in 1:52.4, giving David Miller a sweep of the top claimers. Chuck Crissman Jr. trains the winner for owner Tyler Long.
David Miller and George Napolitano Jr. both had three successes in the sulky; Juan Cano and Michael Posner both harnessed a pair of winners.
Sunday’s Philly card features three-year-old trotting fillies in three divisions of Pennsylvania Sire Stakes action and five sections of racing for PA Stallion Series horses. The current “Queen” of the division is Elista Hanover, and she’ll be looking for her sixth straight triumph and fourth stakes success in a row – she won in the first leg of the Sire Stakes. First post on Sunday is 12:40 p.m.; free Philly programs are available at www.phha.org.
CHESTER PA – On a day where speed held up well at the Harrah’s Philadelphia oval, the Lather Up filly Katies Up left hard from the outside post eight and made every pole a winning one in the $12,000 Friday afternoon feature for distaff pacers.
Jack Pelling and his sophomore charge had to pay a :26.4 price to claim command at the first station, then continued on to middle splits of :55.2 and 1:23. Always In Flight made a hard pass at the leader down the back, fell back a bit on the turn, but then was resurgent late to miss only a half length to the winner, who took a new mark. Per Engblom, leading trainer at the southeastern Pennsylvania oval, sent out the winner for Morrison Racing Stables.
After six of the first eight contests went to frontenders and another was won by a pocket rocket, the team of driver Anthony Morgan and trainer Chris Temming tried to take advantage of the bias by putting on a speed show in the two high-priced claimers, but had to settle for second in both races.
In the $11,500 division favored Twig tried to make it three of his last four while setting splits of :27. :56, and 1:23.4, but he was beaten out a neck by the two-hole-sitting Shrimp And Grits, whom David Miller got to the wire first in 1:52.3. The winning son of Shadow Play is quite a story for trainer Izzy Estrada and his Estrada Racing LLC – he has now won nine of his last ten starts while rising from a $7500 tag to today’s $25,000 price.
Flip My Chip, a 13-1 proposition, put on an even “bigger” speed show in the $11,000 split of the high claimers, rattling off Open-like fractions of :25.3, :53.2, and 1:22.1. He kept his advantage on all but the Sweet Lou gelding Flashy Dude, who came from twelve lengths out at the half to beat the leader by a length in 1:52.4, giving David Miller a sweep of the top claimers. Chuck Crissman Jr. trains the winner for owner Tyler Long.
David Miller and George Napolitano Jr. both had three successes in the sulky; Juan Cano and Michael Posner both harnessed a pair of winners.
Sunday’s Philly card features three-year-old trotting fillies in three divisions of Pennsylvania Sire Stakes action and five sections of racing for PA Stallion Series horses. The current “Queen” of the division is Elista Hanover, and she’ll be looking for her sixth straight triumph and fourth stakes success in a row – she won in the first leg of the Sire Stakes. First post on Sunday is 12:40 p.m.; free Philly programs are available at www.phha.org.
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