By: Jerry Connors, Jr.
CHESTER PA – The Sebastian K S gelding Benjamin Hanover is now five years old. He has made only 51 career starts, but he loves to win, as he posted his fourth straight triumph, tenth in nineteen 2025 starts, and 29thof his career with a snappy 1:54.1 victory in the $16,000 fast-class handicap trot at a cool Harrah’s Philadelphia on Sunday afternoon.
The event was handicapped by earnings in the last four starts; Benjamin Hanover had won his previous three at lower levels, while Little Expensive had two wins and a second at this top level, and thus he had post six to “Benjamin”’s post five. He was also sent off as the 3-5 favorite; Benjamin Hanover was held at 8-5.
Tim Tetrick, the track’s top driver, got enough gate jet out of Benjamin Hanover to secure a two-hole trip behind the speedy Little Expensive. That one went soft early fractions of :29 and :58.1, then tried to bottom out the opposition by hitting the three-quarters in 1:25.2. But Benjamin Hanover stayed tight, moved out approaching headstretch, and gradually wore down the chalk by three parts of a length for trainer Scott Di Domenico, second in the local standings, and owner Angela Cornell.
Tetrick / Di Domenico also captured the $13,000 fast-class pace with another horse stepping up but still taking his fourth in a row, the Shadow Play gelding Jack’s Shadow N, in 1:52.4. The native Kiwi was double-jumping and stuck with the outermost post, and perhaps those are the reasons why he was dismissed at 16-1; nonetheless, Tetrick and “Jack” caught the lively cover of It’s In The Stars midway down the back, rode behind that one until into the stretch, then outpaced him to the wire by a neck, his own back half in :55.2. Di Domenico conditions the 51-time career winner for his Triple D Stables Inc., Oompa’s Farm Inc., and Robert Mondillo.
“Timmy T” completed a sweep of the features with Lochlan Hanover, taking a $13,500 pace for developing horses in 1:53.3. The sophomore son of Captaintreacherous pulled from third and went up raw in a :27.3 third quarter, was ahead but not inside on the turn, then had to dig in to withstand a big late rush from an unfortunate Tito N Cheddar, taking the decision by a half length for trainer Enrico Robinson and Pollack Racing LLC. Tetrick also won the last race to take the day’s honors by one over Ridge Warren.
Harrah’s Philadelphia has a special Christmas Eve card of live racing on Wednesday afternoon starting at 12 noon; it was on Christmas Eve last year that Philly held the last race of the day worldwide and set an alltime track handle mark of $1,587,638. The Pick 5 was unsolved on Sunday and will be carrying over $4470.16 into the Pick 5 wager on Wednesday’s races five through nine; track management has upped the ante and guaranteed a $20,000 pool in the Wednesday Pick 5. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.
CHESTER PA – The Sebastian K S gelding Benjamin Hanover is now five years old. He has made only 51 career starts, but he loves to win, as he posted his fourth straight triumph, tenth in nineteen 2025 starts, and 29thof his career with a snappy 1:54.1 victory in the $16,000 fast-class handicap trot at a cool Harrah’s Philadelphia on Sunday afternoon.
The event was handicapped by earnings in the last four starts; Benjamin Hanover had won his previous three at lower levels, while Little Expensive had two wins and a second at this top level, and thus he had post six to “Benjamin”’s post five. He was also sent off as the 3-5 favorite; Benjamin Hanover was held at 8-5.
Tim Tetrick, the track’s top driver, got enough gate jet out of Benjamin Hanover to secure a two-hole trip behind the speedy Little Expensive. That one went soft early fractions of :29 and :58.1, then tried to bottom out the opposition by hitting the three-quarters in 1:25.2. But Benjamin Hanover stayed tight, moved out approaching headstretch, and gradually wore down the chalk by three parts of a length for trainer Scott Di Domenico, second in the local standings, and owner Angela Cornell.
Tetrick / Di Domenico also captured the $13,000 fast-class pace with another horse stepping up but still taking his fourth in a row, the Shadow Play gelding Jack’s Shadow N, in 1:52.4. The native Kiwi was double-jumping and stuck with the outermost post, and perhaps those are the reasons why he was dismissed at 16-1; nonetheless, Tetrick and “Jack” caught the lively cover of It’s In The Stars midway down the back, rode behind that one until into the stretch, then outpaced him to the wire by a neck, his own back half in :55.2. Di Domenico conditions the 51-time career winner for his Triple D Stables Inc., Oompa’s Farm Inc., and Robert Mondillo.
“Timmy T” completed a sweep of the features with Lochlan Hanover, taking a $13,500 pace for developing horses in 1:53.3. The sophomore son of Captaintreacherous pulled from third and went up raw in a :27.3 third quarter, was ahead but not inside on the turn, then had to dig in to withstand a big late rush from an unfortunate Tito N Cheddar, taking the decision by a half length for trainer Enrico Robinson and Pollack Racing LLC. Tetrick also won the last race to take the day’s honors by one over Ridge Warren.
Harrah’s Philadelphia has a special Christmas Eve card of live racing on Wednesday afternoon starting at 12 noon; it was on Christmas Eve last year that Philly held the last race of the day worldwide and set an alltime track handle mark of $1,587,638. The Pick 5 was unsolved on Sunday and will be carrying over $4470.16 into the Pick 5 wager on Wednesday’s races five through nine; track management has upped the ante and guaranteed a $20,000 pool in the Wednesday Pick 5. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.
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