CHESTER PA – Tag Up And Go and Watkins emerged as the winners of the joint $14,500 features during the “Trottin’ Thursday” program at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
Tag Up And Go enjoyed a drop in class, pointing right to the front for driver Marcus Miller and never locking back through splits of 28. 57, 1:25.1, and 1:53.4. Seven Iron raced in the pocket and stayed closest to the winner, but he was still 2¾ lengths behind under the line to the victorious Angus Hall gelding, who now has 42 wins and $560,466 to his lifetime credit. Rob Harmon trains the winner for owners Lester Gelardi Jr. and Anthony Passafaro.
The Cantab Hall-Frau Blucher sophomore filly made her 2019 debut a successful in a $14,000 contest, stopping the clock in 1:56.4 for a new mark. Andrew McCarthy, who had four driving successes on the card, kept the Nancy Johansson trainee in third-over position, then showed enough sweep in the last quarter to be three lengths clear at the wire for Hauser Brothers Racing Enterprises LLC and Rojan Stables. The filly’s dam was one of the best Pennsylvania Sire Stakes performers of all time, and this seasonal bow could set the stage for her daughter to go on to great success.