CHESTER PA – Shes Pukka N went right to the top and never looked back, winning the $22,500 distaff handicap pacing feature on Sunday at Harrah’s Philadelphia in 1:50.4.
Majorca N, starting from the outside in the field of five after winning her first four U.S. starts, was the odds-on favorite, but she got away last while her Kiwi countrymate got away first for driver Tony Morgan, posting fractions of :26.4, :55.3, and 1:23.2. Rockn Philly, sitting the pocket trip, moved out to give the leader a hard challenge approaching the last-named station.
In the $14,400 co-featured pace for developing horses, the Big Jim four-year-old gelding Springbridge Duel said adios to his field in the last half, winning by 13¼ lengths while equaling his mark of 1:51.2. Dexter Dunn was just a passenger behind the Jennifer Bongiorno trainee, who came home in :55.1 for owners Glenn Goller, Abraham Basen, and Mark Harder.
Tim Tetrick captured seven of the afternoon’s races, increasing his meet-leading driving victory total to 35 on the first twelve cards, or almost three a performance. On this card Tetrick brought home two winners each for trainers Jeff Cullipher and Scott Di Domenico.
This Wednesday will be the last dark Wednesday of the early season; racing resumes at the riverside oval on Thursday at 12:25. On May 11 Harrah’s will go to its regular schedule of Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday racing at 12:25, and Sunday at 12:40. This coming week Philly will also conduct a special live card on Saturday, Kentucky Derby Day, with the trotters and pacers taking to the track at 12:40. Program pages will be available at https://www.phha.org/harrahspps.html.