CHESTER PA – Features for all types of horses – trotters and pacers, fast-class veterans and developing younger stock – helped close out the racing week at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Sunday afternoon.
Top purse event of the day was a $15,300 pace that saw Yonkers invader Twin B Heart Throb overcome both the outside post and a tough two-move journey to get the job done in 1:52.1, a half-length ahead of an inside-rallying Jay Bracken A. Simon Allard drove the successful son of Betterthancheddar for trainer Jeff Cullipher, the meet’s leading trainer who is also co-owner with Pollack Racing LLC.
The other sidewheeling headliner was a $13,500 contest in which the Captaintreacherous colt Captain Batboy remained undefeated in two seasonal races, taking the lead late on the first turn and staying clear in a lifetime best of 1:50.4. The meet’s top sulkysitter, Tim Tetrick, drove the promising sophomore for trainer Tom Fanning and owner Joseph Smith.
Taking the first of two $13,000 features for high-level trotters was Keg Stand, a winner of $360,666 in stakes company at two and three and a winner in his four-year-old debut in 1:52.4, a race mark. The son of Bar Hopping lured Yannick Gingras down for a cameo sulky appearance, and Keg Stand had no problem in the latter stages for trainer Nancy Takter and owners Black Horse Racing, Christina Takter, and John Fielding.
The second trotting section saw the two favorites, Betterinpinehurst and Flip The Switch, going full-out against each other the last five-sixteenths, with the Better Caviar gelding Betterinpinehurst overcoming first-over duty to catch the pacesetter by three-quarters of a length in 1:54.3. Trainer Jeff Cullipher and the partnership of Cullipher and Pollack Racing LLC accounted for a feature win on each gait, and Tim Tetrick drove Betterinpinehurst, one of his five winners on the card and also a feature winner on each gait.
Harrah’s currently races on a Thursday and Friday (12:25) and Sunday (12:40) schedule, with Wednesdays at 12:25 to be added May 17. There will also be a live racing card at the southeast Pennsylvania oval on Kentucky Derby Day, May 6. Program pages for all Philly cards are or will be available at https://www.phha.org/harrahspps.html.