CHESTER PA – G Load raced in the two-hole, then had enough stretch force to overhaul pacesetting Tequini Hanover at the end of the $13,500 featured vent on another “Trottin’ Thursday” program at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
Justin Huckabone put the Nuncio gelding on the early lead, then yielded to the quarter-moving Tequini Hanover on a brisk day in southeast Pennsylvania. There the winner waited until headstretch, when G Load moved outside and gradually grinded past the leader to win past a half length tally in 1:56.2. Driver Huckabone also trains the winner for owner Mathew Dugan.
There were three $12,000 trotting races for the class just below the feature-level horse. Two were won by horses who were champions in their respective states’ programs, and the other was taken by a Swedish import visiting the winners circle for the first time in North America.
The most impressive of the three was the Shake It Off Lindy sophomore gelding Chipper Dale, who made his debut for owners Evans Nation, Jeff Fought Racing, and Brian Carsey memorable in winning by 6¾ lengths in 1:55.1, lowering his record five full seconds. David Miller moved the Per Engblom trainee to the lead in front of the grandstand, and the rest labored to get a minor portion behind the winner of six straight. Chipper Dale has won eleven of fourteen starts this year and scored six of eight times at two while the dominant force in the Maine program; his earnings are now $220,498.
The Yall Beneath Me three-year-old filly Only I Exist made a break in her career bow and after that has won fifteen straight races, six last season and this year nine more, including two at Philly since establishing her dominance in Maryland. Russell Foster raced her off the pace in this start, and the winner of $293,006 proved equal to the challenge in 1:57 for trainer-owner Richard Hans of Googoo Gaagaa fame.
Koriander Sisu S, a Father Patrick gelding, made an early move to take control of his division, and after taking two seconds in photos in North America, he got the job done here in 1:56.4, a neck to the good of Asher Hanover. Rikard Skoglund guided the winner for trainer Per Engblom and the partnership of Engblom Stable LLC, Nicklas Oestergaard-Andersen, Thomas Svensen, and Darby Mazzarisi.
Doublers on the driving side were Justin Huckabone, George Napolitano Jr. (reducing Tim Tetrick’s meet lead to 146-141), Jack Pelling, and Rikard Skoglund; conditioners Scott Di Domenico and Per Engblom also had a pair of wins.
Fast-class horses of all varieties will be featured on Friday’s program at Harrah’s Philadelphia, with first post at 12:25 p.m. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.