CHESTER PA – With Harrah’s Philadelphia not presenting a live program on Thanksgiving Thursday afternoon, the trotters and the pacing mares both got turns in the racing spotlight, with each group having a $12,800 feature and an $11,600 co-feature.
In the $12,800 events for “non-winners of 5 races,” the trotters were led by the Explosive Matter sophomore gelding Arclight Hanover, who rewarded the bettors who made him the favorite by sweeping wide on the far turn and going off to a 1¾ length victory over Andela in 1:56.3 for driver Yannick Gingras and trainer Mark Harder, the latter co-owner with Deena Frost and Emma Petterson.
In the pacing $11,600 fast-class contest, My Kiwi Lady N, a frequent winner at the Running Aces meet but off the board twice since coming east, stormed down the center of the track in posting a career best 1:51.3 for trainer/driver Chris Scicluna, a length to the good of Crazy Cute. Vinny Ginsburg, the driver of the $94.00 upsetter, is now tied with Simon Allard and David Miller in having guided three such “bombers” during the 2020 Philly action.
Driver Yannick Gingras returned to Victory Lane after the trotting co-feature with the Yankee Glide gelding Max, who was solid in a 1:54 wire-to-wire victory to make him a winner of $227,156. Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC share ownership in the winner with Frank Baldachino; for trainer Ron Burke, the win was his 78th of the season at Philly. That total currently gives Burke a two-win cushion over Gilbert Garcia-Owen as he attempts to complete his first “Pennsylvania triple”: Ron won the training title at Pocono for the first time this year, and he has a giant lead at The Meadows.