TALENT ABOUNDS IN TUESDAY PHILLY QUALIFIERS

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – Horses continuing to prepare for the upcoming Pennsylvania Sire Stakes and other states’ programs went big miles in qualifying action Tuesday morning at Harrah’s Philadelphia; a couple of older performers also found their way into the spotlight.

• Reigning Deo, New York Sire Stakes two-year-old pacing colt champion at two, added a 1:54.1 win on the engine to his preparations for 2019, the Rock N Roll Heaven entire stepping home in :56 for driver Andrew McCarthy and trainer Brett Pelling;

• The maiden Captaintreacherous sophomore colt Seafarer tallied on the front end, throwing successive :28 back quarters in a 1:55.4 mile that followed a 1:52.4 qualifier at South Orlando Training Center, for driver Marcus Miller and trainer/father Erv. The next two finishers are also interesting – second was Captain Panko, the Pennsylvania Stallion Series divisional champ last season, and third was Stienams Beach, royally-bred (Somebeachsomewhere-Stienam’s Place) and unraced at two, who came his own back half in :54.4
  
• The Donato Hanover sophomore filly American Kronos, forced to face boys because Team Orange Crush had another filly in the qualifying restricted to that group, came out of the pocket to easily down males in 1:56.1. Julie Miller trains and Andy Miller drove the promising miss, who was 5-for-7 at two and broke in the stretch in her two losses
  
• Among the more seasoned performers, the A Rocknroll Dance four-year-old gelding Larry Karr, co-owned by his namesake and winner of five of his last seven starts before being given a spell, came right back to post the fastest winning time of the day, 1:53.4, for driver Tim Tetrick and trainer Ron Burke
  
• Billy Badger N, who had raced in the Levy series, came his own back fractions in :55.2 - :27.2 to circle a field of seven in a 1:55.4 victory, the Art Major gelding successful for driver Dexter Dunn and trainer Chris Ryder.