By: Jerry Connors, Jr.
CHESTER PA -- Once again living up to his name, Ruthless Hanover showed no mercy to his opponents in Sunday afternoon’s $16,000 fast-class handicap feature at Harrah’s Philadelphia, pacing to the easiest of wins in 1:49.4.
The Somebeachsomewhere gelding, who raised his lifetime earnings to $1,022,264 for Team Cancelliere – trainer Tom and owner-brother John – had to do some work early in the mile, racing three-wide to the eighth then two-wide to command nearing the :27 quarter, but there were no anxious moments after that for his backers, who almost created a minus win pool in their support of him.
George Napolitano Jr. went past the middle splits in :55.2 and 1:22.3, and he had a good hold on his horse as he finished out with a :27.1 kicker. Captain Crusader A came up the inside to edge Blue Lou for second behind the winner, who over three years later still is the world’s fastest Standardbred on a 5/8-mile track by virtue of his 1:46.3f mile in May of 2023.
In a $13,000 fast-class pacing subfeature, Taranaki, a roan son of Huntsville, was in control of the pace throughout the mile, putting up fractions of :26.4, :54.3, and 1:22 en route to an easy victory in 1:50. Johnathan Ahle (who two races earlier had posted the highest win price of the year at Philly, $126.80, with the aptly-named Sudden Impact), was in the sulky behind Taranaki for trainer Paul Jessop, also co-owner with Laurie Molnar.
Smooth Dream went out to take early control in the $14,000 top pace for developing horses, got to the quarter in :27.1 then got a breather to a :56.2 half, and passed the three quarters in 1:23.3 before stopping the timer in 1:51. The altered four-year-old son of Cattlewash, a multi-stakeswinner in the New Jersey program at three, had to be good to hold off a tough challenge from pocketsitter Charlies Wish, but Johnathan Ahle kept the Noel Daley trainee going to win by three parts of a length or owners Bay Pond Racing Stable, CTC Stable, and KDP Stable LLC.
Johnathan Ahle and Troy Beyer each brought home three winners on the afternoon; George Napolitano Jr. and Trae Porter checked home first twice each.
Racing will resume at 12:25 Harrah’s Philadelphia on “Trottin’ Thursday,” with the usual assortment of high-caliber diamondgaited horses ready for competition. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.
CHESTER PA -- Once again living up to his name, Ruthless Hanover showed no mercy to his opponents in Sunday afternoon’s $16,000 fast-class handicap feature at Harrah’s Philadelphia, pacing to the easiest of wins in 1:49.4.
The Somebeachsomewhere gelding, who raised his lifetime earnings to $1,022,264 for Team Cancelliere – trainer Tom and owner-brother John – had to do some work early in the mile, racing three-wide to the eighth then two-wide to command nearing the :27 quarter, but there were no anxious moments after that for his backers, who almost created a minus win pool in their support of him.
George Napolitano Jr. went past the middle splits in :55.2 and 1:22.3, and he had a good hold on his horse as he finished out with a :27.1 kicker. Captain Crusader A came up the inside to edge Blue Lou for second behind the winner, who over three years later still is the world’s fastest Standardbred on a 5/8-mile track by virtue of his 1:46.3f mile in May of 2023.
In a $13,000 fast-class pacing subfeature, Taranaki, a roan son of Huntsville, was in control of the pace throughout the mile, putting up fractions of :26.4, :54.3, and 1:22 en route to an easy victory in 1:50. Johnathan Ahle (who two races earlier had posted the highest win price of the year at Philly, $126.80, with the aptly-named Sudden Impact), was in the sulky behind Taranaki for trainer Paul Jessop, also co-owner with Laurie Molnar.
Smooth Dream went out to take early control in the $14,000 top pace for developing horses, got to the quarter in :27.1 then got a breather to a :56.2 half, and passed the three quarters in 1:23.3 before stopping the timer in 1:51. The altered four-year-old son of Cattlewash, a multi-stakeswinner in the New Jersey program at three, had to be good to hold off a tough challenge from pocketsitter Charlies Wish, but Johnathan Ahle kept the Noel Daley trainee going to win by three parts of a length or owners Bay Pond Racing Stable, CTC Stable, and KDP Stable LLC.
Johnathan Ahle and Troy Beyer each brought home three winners on the afternoon; George Napolitano Jr. and Trae Porter checked home first twice each.
Racing will resume at 12:25 Harrah’s Philadelphia on “Trottin’ Thursday,” with the usual assortment of high-caliber diamondgaited horses ready for competition. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.
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