By: Jerry Connors, Jr.
CHESTER PA – They call them “Trottin’ Thursdays” at Harrah’s Philadelphia because that day’s card brings out quality diagonally-gaited horses – this week, in fifteen races, there were ten miles trotted in 1:55f or faster. (That might be a record if somebody kept that sort of thing.)
The $14,000 feature trot was won by the Bar Hopping filly Ginger Tree Lex, the winner of her divisional Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Championship in 2025 but unlucky a bit so far this year. Her fortunes improved greatly during this race, in which she was backed off the gate by driver Andrew McCarthy and let others, particularly pacesetter B Mo, do a great deal of work in a :28.1, :57.1, and 1:25.2 battle, while there were horses three-wide into the first turn and then again from the bottom of the second turn to midway on the far turn.
The last wide horse was Ginger Tree Lex, and she had enough in reserve to keep working forward then get by the beleaguered temposetter in 1:54. Steve Cook trains the classy filly for owners Sam Beegle, Ginger Tree Ventures LLC, Knollview Stable 2, and Robert Reber Jr.
The underclass for the younger horses, with a purse of $13,500, was also won by driver McCarthy, using tactics totally different than the ones he used with “Lex.” The Manyofmanymissions gelding Geronimo Trio IT made every pole a winning one, with splits of :28, :57.2, and 1:25.3 preceding his reaching the wire in 1:53.4, just a tick off his mark. Per Engblom conditions the winner of two straight for Tar Heel Racing.
Another youngster worth keeping an eye on may be the Walner colt Inexpressable, a $325,000 yearling who looked worth every dollar of that while equaling his mark of 1:53. Trainer Lucas Wallin took a turn in the sulky and sent his horse uncovered during the last half, charging home in :55.4 to win by four lengths. The Commonwealth Series champion in Kentucky at two, Inexpressable is owned by Wallin Racing Stable Inc. and Karin Walter-Mommert.
The fast-class trotters were gathered for $13,000, a race won by the Sebastian K S gelding Benjamin Hanover in 1:52, fastest during a day of speedy clockings. Tim Tetrick worked out a pocket trip with his charge, and Benjamin Hanover trotted his last half in :54.4 to ward off a big late surge up the Inside by Ultion Face S by a neck, winning for the 33rd time in his 68-race career for trainer Scott DiDomenico and owner Angela Cornell.
Meet leader Tetrick checked home first four times; Corey Callahan, Mark Herschberger, and Andrew McCarthy had sulky success twice. No trainer won two races or more on the card.
Philly’s “Filly And Mare Friday” will have the same sort of mix as Thursday’s trotters, with contests for the established and the developing female pacers in the spotlight. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.
CHESTER PA – They call them “Trottin’ Thursdays” at Harrah’s Philadelphia because that day’s card brings out quality diagonally-gaited horses – this week, in fifteen races, there were ten miles trotted in 1:55f or faster. (That might be a record if somebody kept that sort of thing.)
The $14,000 feature trot was won by the Bar Hopping filly Ginger Tree Lex, the winner of her divisional Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Championship in 2025 but unlucky a bit so far this year. Her fortunes improved greatly during this race, in which she was backed off the gate by driver Andrew McCarthy and let others, particularly pacesetter B Mo, do a great deal of work in a :28.1, :57.1, and 1:25.2 battle, while there were horses three-wide into the first turn and then again from the bottom of the second turn to midway on the far turn.
The last wide horse was Ginger Tree Lex, and she had enough in reserve to keep working forward then get by the beleaguered temposetter in 1:54. Steve Cook trains the classy filly for owners Sam Beegle, Ginger Tree Ventures LLC, Knollview Stable 2, and Robert Reber Jr.
The underclass for the younger horses, with a purse of $13,500, was also won by driver McCarthy, using tactics totally different than the ones he used with “Lex.” The Manyofmanymissions gelding Geronimo Trio IT made every pole a winning one, with splits of :28, :57.2, and 1:25.3 preceding his reaching the wire in 1:53.4, just a tick off his mark. Per Engblom conditions the winner of two straight for Tar Heel Racing.
Another youngster worth keeping an eye on may be the Walner colt Inexpressable, a $325,000 yearling who looked worth every dollar of that while equaling his mark of 1:53. Trainer Lucas Wallin took a turn in the sulky and sent his horse uncovered during the last half, charging home in :55.4 to win by four lengths. The Commonwealth Series champion in Kentucky at two, Inexpressable is owned by Wallin Racing Stable Inc. and Karin Walter-Mommert.
The fast-class trotters were gathered for $13,000, a race won by the Sebastian K S gelding Benjamin Hanover in 1:52, fastest during a day of speedy clockings. Tim Tetrick worked out a pocket trip with his charge, and Benjamin Hanover trotted his last half in :54.4 to ward off a big late surge up the Inside by Ultion Face S by a neck, winning for the 33rd time in his 68-race career for trainer Scott DiDomenico and owner Angela Cornell.
Meet leader Tetrick checked home first four times; Corey Callahan, Mark Herschberger, and Andrew McCarthy had sulky success twice. No trainer won two races or more on the card.
Philly’s “Filly And Mare Friday” will have the same sort of mix as Thursday’s trotters, with contests for the established and the developing female pacers in the spotlight. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.
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