By Jerry Connors, Jr.
CHESTER PA – Twisted Destiny, one of the better three-year-olds of the 2025 campaign, is keeping up his strong form in 2026, as he came uncovered from last and still was able to win the $16,000 featured fast-class handicap pace Sunday at Harrah’s Philadelphia – the 1999th recorded North American training victory for Hall of Famer Chris Ryder.
Chris’s son Patrick got the winning son of Bettor’s Wish away on his own as favored Maximus Miki pressed on to get command by a :27.2 quarter, then went on to the half in :55.1. Twisted Destiny was steaming up uncovered through the third quarter, going his own split in :26.1 to be a length back as “Miki” reached the three quarters in 1:22.3, and Twisted Destiny stayed the strongest horse to the wire to win by 1½ lengths in 1:50.1, with Captain Crusader A, who had been shuffled to last midrace, finishing briskly to photo the favorite for the deuce.
Twisted Destiny is now a winner of $531,824 lifetime, with 13 victories in 33 starts. He is owned by Let It Ride Stables Inc., Alberg Racing LLC, Enviro Stables LTD, and Jesmeral Stable.
In the $13,000 subclass for the fast-class set, Ayr Dave GB took a new mark of 1:50.2 mark. Scott Zeron got the Sweet Lou gelding underway to have him clear to the front in front of the grandstand the first time, and no one in the talented field could match steps with him late, with the frequent winner (13-for-41 lifetime) tallying for trainer Joe Bongiorno and owner Mr. Joby Charles Randall.
The up-and-coming horses had a trio of $12,000 contests to try to continue their advancement up the class ladder.
In the one division for trotters, the Trixton filly Julies Trix could stay in the same class she had just beaten twice because of an “AE” money condition. Julies Trix will now have to leave the classification behind after equaling her lifetime mark of 1:55.2, going to the lead just past the quarter for driver Anibal Borjas and then coming home in :57 to win again for trainer Tony Alagna, whose Alagna Racing LLC co-owns with Joseph Giaramita.
Males were featured in the two pacing events in this class, and in the quicker the Bettor’s Wish colt Vizcaya took a new mark of 1:50.2 in defeating favored Louaville. For a moment in early stretch it looked like Vizcaya might be his own worst enemy as he couldn’t be backed up to be tipped wide to circle the favored leader, but Anibal Borjas got the sophomore to business towards midstretch and he went on to win after a 44-day layoff. Most of the connections of trotting winner Julies Trix are also involved in Vizcaya: trainer Alagna and owners Joseph Giaramita and Alagna Racing LLC, here joined in ownership by Ronald Ostrow.
In the other pacing class for developing males, Loumelo Ball made a quarter-move and strung out his field, stopping the timer in 1:52 to take a new mark. Tim Tetrick guided the Sweet Lou gelding to his first win of the year for trainer Ron Burke and owners Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Libby & Purnel, and Lawrence Karr.
Nancy Takter sent out a pair of sophomore trotters by Walner who finished 1-2 in a “nw1” trot: Grand Moni, a $210,000 yearling making his debut, won by a half-length in 1:54.4 over La Mancha, out of the great Manchego. Grand Moni was driven by Tim Tetrick for trainer/co-owner Takter and Stall Droad Inc.
The drivers with at least two wins on the card were all aligned with a trainer who nabbed two victories: Scott Zeron won three races, two for Joe Bongiorno; meet leader Tim Tetrick had a trio of sulky successes, two for Ron Burke (those two conditioners are 1-2 in the local tally, in that order); Art Stafford Jr. had two wins, both for Ken Tisa; and the Borjas-Alagna combination has been mentioned above.
After fourteen baby races during a marathon qualifying session Tuesday morning, the next betting card at Philly will be on “Trottin’ Thursday,” with speedy trotters from both the veteran and developing ranks having featured events. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org (as will replays of the Tuesday baby races).
CHESTER PA – Twisted Destiny, one of the better three-year-olds of the 2025 campaign, is keeping up his strong form in 2026, as he came uncovered from last and still was able to win the $16,000 featured fast-class handicap pace Sunday at Harrah’s Philadelphia – the 1999th recorded North American training victory for Hall of Famer Chris Ryder.
Chris’s son Patrick got the winning son of Bettor’s Wish away on his own as favored Maximus Miki pressed on to get command by a :27.2 quarter, then went on to the half in :55.1. Twisted Destiny was steaming up uncovered through the third quarter, going his own split in :26.1 to be a length back as “Miki” reached the three quarters in 1:22.3, and Twisted Destiny stayed the strongest horse to the wire to win by 1½ lengths in 1:50.1, with Captain Crusader A, who had been shuffled to last midrace, finishing briskly to photo the favorite for the deuce.
Twisted Destiny is now a winner of $531,824 lifetime, with 13 victories in 33 starts. He is owned by Let It Ride Stables Inc., Alberg Racing LLC, Enviro Stables LTD, and Jesmeral Stable.
In the $13,000 subclass for the fast-class set, Ayr Dave GB took a new mark of 1:50.2 mark. Scott Zeron got the Sweet Lou gelding underway to have him clear to the front in front of the grandstand the first time, and no one in the talented field could match steps with him late, with the frequent winner (13-for-41 lifetime) tallying for trainer Joe Bongiorno and owner Mr. Joby Charles Randall.
The up-and-coming horses had a trio of $12,000 contests to try to continue their advancement up the class ladder.
In the one division for trotters, the Trixton filly Julies Trix could stay in the same class she had just beaten twice because of an “AE” money condition. Julies Trix will now have to leave the classification behind after equaling her lifetime mark of 1:55.2, going to the lead just past the quarter for driver Anibal Borjas and then coming home in :57 to win again for trainer Tony Alagna, whose Alagna Racing LLC co-owns with Joseph Giaramita.
Males were featured in the two pacing events in this class, and in the quicker the Bettor’s Wish colt Vizcaya took a new mark of 1:50.2 in defeating favored Louaville. For a moment in early stretch it looked like Vizcaya might be his own worst enemy as he couldn’t be backed up to be tipped wide to circle the favored leader, but Anibal Borjas got the sophomore to business towards midstretch and he went on to win after a 44-day layoff. Most of the connections of trotting winner Julies Trix are also involved in Vizcaya: trainer Alagna and owners Joseph Giaramita and Alagna Racing LLC, here joined in ownership by Ronald Ostrow.
In the other pacing class for developing males, Loumelo Ball made a quarter-move and strung out his field, stopping the timer in 1:52 to take a new mark. Tim Tetrick guided the Sweet Lou gelding to his first win of the year for trainer Ron Burke and owners Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Libby & Purnel, and Lawrence Karr.
Nancy Takter sent out a pair of sophomore trotters by Walner who finished 1-2 in a “nw1” trot: Grand Moni, a $210,000 yearling making his debut, won by a half-length in 1:54.4 over La Mancha, out of the great Manchego. Grand Moni was driven by Tim Tetrick for trainer/co-owner Takter and Stall Droad Inc.
The drivers with at least two wins on the card were all aligned with a trainer who nabbed two victories: Scott Zeron won three races, two for Joe Bongiorno; meet leader Tim Tetrick had a trio of sulky successes, two for Ron Burke (those two conditioners are 1-2 in the local tally, in that order); Art Stafford Jr. had two wins, both for Ken Tisa; and the Borjas-Alagna combination has been mentioned above.
After fourteen baby races during a marathon qualifying session Tuesday morning, the next betting card at Philly will be on “Trottin’ Thursday,” with speedy trotters from both the veteran and developing ranks having featured events. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org (as will replays of the Tuesday baby races).
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