By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – The favorites looked ready to pounce off cover in the $12,800 featured trot at Harrah’s Philadelphia Friday afternoon, but the temperature in the 90s had been favoring speed horses and not being kind to closers – such was the case here when pocketsitter Remarkable De Vie came up the inside to catch pacesetter With Out A Doubt in 1:56.4.
 
With Out A Doubt had claimed the lead before the :28.4 quarter, with driver George Napolitano Jr.  (a six-time winner on the day) settling the Charlie De Vie gelding Remarkable De Vie on his back. Trixar began a first-over move nearing the :58.4 half and battled the pacesetter to and past the 1:27.4 three-quarters, with favored Heart N Soul Deo and second choice Loyal Fox Hanover second-over and third-over, respectively, and ready to take on the embattled leaders.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – Harrah’s Philadelphia will be hosting one of its strongest non-stakes cards in quite some time this Sunday afternoon, with three $20,000 events for the fast-class older horses set to go, topped by an appearance from the 2019 Harness Horse of the Year, Shartin N.
 
Now seven, Shartin N is a New Zealand import by Tintin In America, and she certainly has been a ruthless force at the very top of the older pacing female ranks in North America the last two years. She has won 43 of her 58 lifetime starts, and she has bankrolled $2,153,030, the vast majority of it for present owners Richard Poillucci, Jo Ann Looney-King, and Tim Tetrick LLC. She is the fastest pacing mare of all-time by virtue of a 1:46.4 victory at The Meadowlands last year, and she also holds her division’s track record at Philly, 1:48.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – Trainer Nancy Takter and driver Dexter Dunn combined to win the fastest two of the four divisions of the $218,260 first preliminary round of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes for two-year-old pacing colts Thursday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia, with Red Right Hand, whose 1:52 was the fastest clocking among the babies, salvaging some honor for tote-board favorites, who had taken a PaSS drubbing up until then.
 
Red Right Hand, a Captaintreacherous colt out of the mare Preppy Party Girl, gradually made his way to the front past a :27.2 quarter, went to the half in :56.2, then received a stern challenge from Summa Cum Laude before, through, and after the 1:24 three-quarters. Red Right Hand dug in to keep his game opponent at bay by a neck for the partnership of Christina Takter, Nancy Takter and JAF Racing, Joe Sbrocco, and R A W Equine Inc.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
​CHESTER PA – The Pennsylvania Sire Stakes made their 2020 debut on Wednesday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia, with four $53,534 Sire Stakes for two-year-old fillies and the same class going in four $20,000 cuts of Pennsylvania Stallion Series action.
 
“Breed the best to the best and hope for the best” is an old racetrack adage, and it produced the fastest Sire Stakes winner, as the offspring of two Horses of the Year (Always B Miki and JK She’sagreatlady), JK Alwaysbalady, posted an easy 4½ lengths victory in an impressive 1:52.1. Yannick Gingras sent the filly to the lead, yielded to Wicked Ways to sit in the pocket behind her, then vacated that hole and powered off all alone late. The Nancy Takter-trained miss has a “ceiling unlimited” future right now for the 3 Brothers Stable.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
​WILKES-BARRE PA – Fastest of the two-year-olds learning their early lessons at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono on Wednesday morning was the Art Major – Brownsville Bomber pacing colt Frazzleberry, who posted a clocking of 1:57.
 
Chuck Connor Jr. had Frazzleberry in last early, but the freshman responded when asked for speed, pacing his individual last half in :57 to win for trainer Janice Connor and the partnership of Joseph Betro, Ian Behar, and Kristie Leigh Farm Inc.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – Two-year-olds were in the spotlight Tuesday afternoon at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, with American Courage fastest in the pacing contests in 1:54.1, while trotting speed honors were shared by Bacardi and Above The Clouds at 1:58.1.
 
Both of the trotting winners needed the photo finish camera to confirm their victories. The Southwind Frank – Strawberry Wine colt Bacardi raced in the pocket behind favored Sevenshadesofgrey, then methodically wore down the frontrunner to post a half-length victory for driver Marcus Miller and  trainer Erv Miller, whose Ervin Miller Stable Inc.  shares ownership of the winner with All-Wright Racing LLC, the Engel Stable of IL LLC, and the Rock And Roll Stable Inc.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – 2019’s Two-Year-Old Pacing Filly of the Year Lyons Sentinel continued her preparations for the imminent stakes season with a 1:54.3 qualifying win at Harrah’s Philadelphia early Tuesday afternoon.
 
The daughter of Captaintreacherous, who was also last year’s leading moneywinning freshman at $801,809, made a frontward move at the half and hung up successive :28 quarters to post an easy 2½ length victory, giving her now two wins and a second in preseason qualifying action. Threelyonsracing owns the Jim King Jr. trainee, who was driven as usual by Tim Tetrick.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – The Pennsylvania Sire Stakes and its complementary Stallion Series program make their 2020 debuts on Wednesday and Thursday at Harrah’s Philadelphia, with over $600,000 to be on the line as two-year-old pacers lead off the action – the fillies on Wednesday, and the colts and geldings on Thursday.
 
In Wednesday’s filly racing, three of the babies have already achieved sub-1:55 marks in qualifying action, including the pair drawing innermost in the race seven division. The Betting-Line – Darena Hanover miss Darby Hanover won at The Meadowlands in 1:54, with a sizzling :26.2 last quarter; she’ll start from the rail for trainer Julie and driver Andy Miller. Right next to her will be the Always B Miki – Western Silk filly Grace Hill, who ships to Philly after a 1:54.4 win at the Toronto area’s Woodbine Mohawk Park. Dexter Dunn will handle the driving assignment behind her for trainer Mark Harder.