Pennsylvania Harness Horsemen's Association
  • Home
  • Welcome!
  • About the PHHA
  • Join the PHHA
  • PHHA PAC
  • Philanthrophy
  • PA Harness Week
  • PHHA Blog
Pennsylvania Harness Horsemen's Association

LIBERTY BELL STAKES FOR BABY FILLIES AT HARRAH'S WEDNESDAY

9/24/2020

0 Comments

 
By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – The Liberty Bell stakes series commenced its annual fall run at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Wednesday afternoon, with over $160,000 in purses offered to two-year-old fillies on both gaits.
 
There were three divisions for pacers, and the chalk won all three – though the heaviest favorite of all gave the crowd some tension before they could get their nickel profit for every win dollar bet. Grace Hill, second in her Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Championship behind Blue Diamond Eyes (who won the Kentucky program’s final this past Sunday) looked to be sailing along for driver Todd McCarthy after setting fractions of :28.2, :56.1, and 1:24.2.
​However, pocketsitter Natchez Belle kept chopping into the margin – four lengths at the half, two at the three-quarters, 1¼ lengths at the stretch call and narrowing with every step towards the wire. But Grace Hill, a daughter of Somebeachsomewhere out of the $1.6M+-winning Western Silk, dug down and won by a head in 1:53.1, running her scorecard to 6-4-2-0-$202,772 for trainer Nifty Norman and owner Tom Hill.
 
Another filly with a distinguished pedigree as a half-sister to Huntsville, the Betting Line – Wild West Show miss Let ‘Er Buck, made two moves to control the throttle through splits of :28, :57.3, and 1:25.3, then turned back first-over Southwind Mina by 1¾ lengths in 1:53.4, a career best, for driver Mark MacDonald and owner/trainer Ray Schnittker.
 
The fastest winner was the Captaintreacherous – Miss Kitty Hanover filly Mackie Hanover, who sped right to the top from the outside post six and hung up numbers of :28, :57.1, and 1:24.3 en route to a three length triumph in a lifetime best 1:52.4. George Brennan, a four-time winner during the card, was in the sulky for trainer Tom Fanning and owners Howard Taylor and Falcon Racing LLC.
 
On the trotting side, it was finally the day for “the world’s richest maiden,” the Donato Hanover – Dream Child filly You Ato Dream, who had been second in all four of her PA Sire Stakes preliminaries and the Championship while earning $157,556. Here You Ato Dream worked her way to the lead for trainer/driver Jeff Gregory near the :28 quarter, put up midsplits of :57 and 1:25, then was kept to business to withstand potential pocket rocket May Karp in 1:54.2, a maiden mark. Jeff Gregory Inc. owns the talented miss with William Richardson, George Romanoff, and Martin Garey.
 
Donato Hanover earned a siring double when Wixx Hanover (dam: Whispering Wind) reduced her mark to 1:55.3 in the other section. With a filly who had shown both speed and shaky manners, driver George Brennan was in no hurry to rush the baby, letting her follow the early cover of favored Myreanna, who claimed the lead midway between the :28.1 quarter and the :57.2 half, and then claimed the top going to the midrace mark. From there Wixx Hanover had total command, reaching the three-quarters in 1:26 and going off to a three length victory over the chalk for trainer Roland Mallar, co-owner with Patrick Leavitt and William Hartt.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    January 2017

    RSS Feed

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture