By: Jerry Connors, Jr.
CHESTER PA – Tick A Loch A backed off (relatively) early and had a good seat behind sulky pyrotechnics that blazed for three eighths of a mile, then came on first-over and won the $13,000 fast-class distaff handicap pace at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Friday afternoon.
Handicapped with the outside slot in the field of seven, Tick A Loch A went away from the gate a bit before electing a midpack tuck late on the first bend, which proved a good tactic – for Blood Moon A (inside), Hers Hungry (between horses) and Bath Bomb (widest) waged front-end three-across war past a :26.3 quarter and still fought past the three eighths, until Bath Bomb emerged on top and Hers Hungry finally got into the pocket in front of Blood Moon A, with the half in a sizzling :54.2.
George Napolitano Jr., driving the favored victorious daughter of Always B Miki, commenced a second move frontward by the half, and had gotten to within a length of Bath Bomb by the 1:21.4 three-quarters. Tick A Loch A, a recent Invitational winner at Yonkers, continued on to stretch command and then could summon enough to hold off 62-1 shot Promising Moment by a neck in 1:51, equaling the mark of the winner, with Bath Bomb lasting for third. Chris Height trains the winner of the exciting mile for owner Michael Casalino Jr.
There was a trio of $12,000 contests for up-and-coming pacers. The Sweet Lou sophomore colt Talbot Andretti won the fastest event, restricted to males, in 1:50.4, yielding the lead to a brushing Enter Sandman near the half and then still able to catch him by a length for driver Patrick Ryder, trainer Jake Leamon, and owner Melvin Rounick. The other division for colts and geldings went to Drive For Show, a three-year-old Luck Be Withyou gelding, who came home in :55.3 for a victory in 1:53, his second straight, for driver Mark Herschberger, trainer Lou Pena, and owner Jose Cervantes.
Herschberger also guided the winner of the only cut of the subfeature for females, with the Perfect Sting sophomore Napalm coming her back half in :55 to lower her mark to 1:51.4 trainer Nik Drennan, and owners Joseph Davino, Patrick O’Brien, and Brad Shackman.
And for Pennsylvania owners who don’t yet have a Captain Corey youngster in the barn, the news got slightly more ominous – because a Captain Corey filly pacer, the freshman Whimsy Hanover (dam Wishful Me), fought gamely in the stretch to take a 1:54.4 maiden mark in her third start for driver Tyler Miller, trainer-mother Julie Miller, and the ownership of Andy Stable Stable Inc., Michael Anderson, and Louis Willinger. (From his first crop Captain Corey had one foal who tried to qualify on the pace once. What happened to her? Well, P A Nutmeg was converted to the trot between seasons and won at Philly Thursday in 1:57!)
Mark Herschberger piloted four winners at Philly to take daily honors and run his total to ten in two days. Bradley Chisholm had a triple, and George Napolitano Jr. doubled. And a tip of the cap to trainer Elizabeth Murphy, who harnessed her first-ever winner – but this was not her first “horseperson’s” visit to the winners circle, as she had driven a winner at Washington Court House (OH) in 2019!
Philly’s racing week closes out on Sunday at 12:40, with Pennsylvania-sired two-year-old male trotters going in their last preliminaries in the Sire Stakes and Stallion Series, trying to earn enough points to qualify for their rich Championships in early September. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.
CHESTER PA – Tick A Loch A backed off (relatively) early and had a good seat behind sulky pyrotechnics that blazed for three eighths of a mile, then came on first-over and won the $13,000 fast-class distaff handicap pace at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Friday afternoon.
Handicapped with the outside slot in the field of seven, Tick A Loch A went away from the gate a bit before electing a midpack tuck late on the first bend, which proved a good tactic – for Blood Moon A (inside), Hers Hungry (between horses) and Bath Bomb (widest) waged front-end three-across war past a :26.3 quarter and still fought past the three eighths, until Bath Bomb emerged on top and Hers Hungry finally got into the pocket in front of Blood Moon A, with the half in a sizzling :54.2.
George Napolitano Jr., driving the favored victorious daughter of Always B Miki, commenced a second move frontward by the half, and had gotten to within a length of Bath Bomb by the 1:21.4 three-quarters. Tick A Loch A, a recent Invitational winner at Yonkers, continued on to stretch command and then could summon enough to hold off 62-1 shot Promising Moment by a neck in 1:51, equaling the mark of the winner, with Bath Bomb lasting for third. Chris Height trains the winner of the exciting mile for owner Michael Casalino Jr.
There was a trio of $12,000 contests for up-and-coming pacers. The Sweet Lou sophomore colt Talbot Andretti won the fastest event, restricted to males, in 1:50.4, yielding the lead to a brushing Enter Sandman near the half and then still able to catch him by a length for driver Patrick Ryder, trainer Jake Leamon, and owner Melvin Rounick. The other division for colts and geldings went to Drive For Show, a three-year-old Luck Be Withyou gelding, who came home in :55.3 for a victory in 1:53, his second straight, for driver Mark Herschberger, trainer Lou Pena, and owner Jose Cervantes.
Herschberger also guided the winner of the only cut of the subfeature for females, with the Perfect Sting sophomore Napalm coming her back half in :55 to lower her mark to 1:51.4 trainer Nik Drennan, and owners Joseph Davino, Patrick O’Brien, and Brad Shackman.
And for Pennsylvania owners who don’t yet have a Captain Corey youngster in the barn, the news got slightly more ominous – because a Captain Corey filly pacer, the freshman Whimsy Hanover (dam Wishful Me), fought gamely in the stretch to take a 1:54.4 maiden mark in her third start for driver Tyler Miller, trainer-mother Julie Miller, and the ownership of Andy Stable Stable Inc., Michael Anderson, and Louis Willinger. (From his first crop Captain Corey had one foal who tried to qualify on the pace once. What happened to her? Well, P A Nutmeg was converted to the trot between seasons and won at Philly Thursday in 1:57!)
Mark Herschberger piloted four winners at Philly to take daily honors and run his total to ten in two days. Bradley Chisholm had a triple, and George Napolitano Jr. doubled. And a tip of the cap to trainer Elizabeth Murphy, who harnessed her first-ever winner – but this was not her first “horseperson’s” visit to the winners circle, as she had driven a winner at Washington Court House (OH) in 2019!
Philly’s racing week closes out on Sunday at 12:40, with Pennsylvania-sired two-year-old male trotters going in their last preliminaries in the Sire Stakes and Stallion Series, trying to earn enough points to qualify for their rich Championships in early September. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.
RSS Feed
