By: Jerry Connors, Jr. CHESTER PA – Near-freezing temperatures and a strong stretch headwind did not make for a good day for speed horses on “Trottin’ Thursday” at Harrah’s Philadelphia, but the two feature winners fronted their fields through most of their respective races.
The top purse event was a $13,500 contest for developing trotters, won by the three-year-old altered son of Propulsion, The Brodster, in 1:55.3 as he won his second race in his last three trips behind the gate. Ridge Warren wanted control of the top with the sophomore, and the pair drew more and more clear most of the last half, with Yardbird 5¼ lengths behind at the finish. Per Engblom conditions the winner for Engblom Stable LLC and Evans Nation.
The Muscle Mass gelding Cassius Hanover stepped up in company and produced his second straight victory, on Thursday mastering the $13,000 fast-class trotters in 1:55.4. Favored Te Amo Lindy yielded to the winner (who had to overcome the outermost stating slot) at the quarter to sit in the two-hole, but his late charge up the inside fell a neck short as Cassius Hanover dashed home in :29.2, the day’s co-fastest last quarter (:30.2 was the average), in winning for driver Johnathan Ahle and trainer Emily Bost, the latter co-owner with R K 4 Racing.
Simon Allard and George Napolitano Jr. had three driving successes on the card. For Napolitano, eighth on the alltime dashwinning list and sixth among active drivers at 12,869 vikctories, this was his fourth straight Philly driving day with three winners. He is second in 2025 locally, and Allard is third, behind the leader Tim Tetrick.
To complete its racing week, Philly has cards on Friday at 12:25 and Sunday at 12:40. The last two holiday weeks of the year, Philly will race live on a Friday-Sunday-Wednesday schedule, with Fridays at 12:25 and Sundays at 12:40 as usual, but the special pre-holiday Wednesdays having special post times: Christmas Eve at 12 noon, and New Year’s Eve at 4 p.m. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.
The top purse event was a $13,500 contest for developing trotters, won by the three-year-old altered son of Propulsion, The Brodster, in 1:55.3 as he won his second race in his last three trips behind the gate. Ridge Warren wanted control of the top with the sophomore, and the pair drew more and more clear most of the last half, with Yardbird 5¼ lengths behind at the finish. Per Engblom conditions the winner for Engblom Stable LLC and Evans Nation.
The Muscle Mass gelding Cassius Hanover stepped up in company and produced his second straight victory, on Thursday mastering the $13,000 fast-class trotters in 1:55.4. Favored Te Amo Lindy yielded to the winner (who had to overcome the outermost stating slot) at the quarter to sit in the two-hole, but his late charge up the inside fell a neck short as Cassius Hanover dashed home in :29.2, the day’s co-fastest last quarter (:30.2 was the average), in winning for driver Johnathan Ahle and trainer Emily Bost, the latter co-owner with R K 4 Racing.
Simon Allard and George Napolitano Jr. had three driving successes on the card. For Napolitano, eighth on the alltime dashwinning list and sixth among active drivers at 12,869 vikctories, this was his fourth straight Philly driving day with three winners. He is second in 2025 locally, and Allard is third, behind the leader Tim Tetrick.
To complete its racing week, Philly has cards on Friday at 12:25 and Sunday at 12:40. The last two holiday weeks of the year, Philly will race live on a Friday-Sunday-Wednesday schedule, with Fridays at 12:25 and Sundays at 12:40 as usual, but the special pre-holiday Wednesdays having special post times: Christmas Eve at 12 noon, and New Year’s Eve at 4 p.m. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.
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