By: Jerry Connors, Jr.
CHESTER PA – The Walner filly Walspea helped continue a highly-productive “early season” for trainer-driver Trond Smedshammer by trotting to a new mark of 1:53.3 in the $13,500 feature on Thursday afternoon under hot conditions at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
Inferno DK, off two frontstepping scores in his last three starts, shot out to command early, with Walspea tucking second and content to sit in that spot as the leader laid down a tempo of :28, :57.1, and 1:25.2. Smedshammer gave his filly the green light early on the far turn and she circled past right to the lead, but Inferno DK was a tough customer to put away, and Smedshammer (41% to win and a UDR of .618 going into today’s card) had to keep after his sophomore miss to maintain a safe margin, the distance 1¼ lengths at the wire. Now a winner of three of five in 2025, Walspea is owned by Purple Haze Stables LLC and M3 Racing Stable.
Unevergonnagetthis, who hadn’t shown much gate speed vs. better at Yonkers recently, came to Philly and used the front end to win the $13,000 fast-class handicap trot in 1:54.3. The inside horses, by leaving hard early, may have encouraged driver Corey Callahan to press on to the lead near the :27.2 quarter with the Muscle Mass gelding; they then got a breather to the half in :57.2.
No such benevolence awaited the career winner of $515,105 in the third quarter, as All Wrapped Up, handicapped outside after winning in this company in his last start, charged up uncovered from fourth and had the lead, but not the inside, to a 1:25.1 three-quarters. Callahan kept after Unevergonnagetthis to retain the advantage of the inside on the turn and the lead through the lane, and the trotter dug in gamely to record a neck triumph over railshooting Green Pastures, with All Wrapped Up holding commendably for third in the blanket finish (six horses within two lengths at the wire). The winner is trained by Jeff Cullipher for Pollack Racing LLC.
David Miller ($283,922,781 in career earnings and rising rapidly) brought home three winners Wednesday, tops among the sulkysmiths and giving him seven in the first two days of the week at Philly. Two of Miller’s winners are trained by Nifty Norman, the conditioners’ only doubler.
Harrah’s Philly will race on the Fourth of July Friday with a special 12:40 post time; that first race post will also be in effect when the racing week concludes on Sunday afternoon. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.
CHESTER PA – The Walner filly Walspea helped continue a highly-productive “early season” for trainer-driver Trond Smedshammer by trotting to a new mark of 1:53.3 in the $13,500 feature on Thursday afternoon under hot conditions at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
Inferno DK, off two frontstepping scores in his last three starts, shot out to command early, with Walspea tucking second and content to sit in that spot as the leader laid down a tempo of :28, :57.1, and 1:25.2. Smedshammer gave his filly the green light early on the far turn and she circled past right to the lead, but Inferno DK was a tough customer to put away, and Smedshammer (41% to win and a UDR of .618 going into today’s card) had to keep after his sophomore miss to maintain a safe margin, the distance 1¼ lengths at the wire. Now a winner of three of five in 2025, Walspea is owned by Purple Haze Stables LLC and M3 Racing Stable.
Unevergonnagetthis, who hadn’t shown much gate speed vs. better at Yonkers recently, came to Philly and used the front end to win the $13,000 fast-class handicap trot in 1:54.3. The inside horses, by leaving hard early, may have encouraged driver Corey Callahan to press on to the lead near the :27.2 quarter with the Muscle Mass gelding; they then got a breather to the half in :57.2.
No such benevolence awaited the career winner of $515,105 in the third quarter, as All Wrapped Up, handicapped outside after winning in this company in his last start, charged up uncovered from fourth and had the lead, but not the inside, to a 1:25.1 three-quarters. Callahan kept after Unevergonnagetthis to retain the advantage of the inside on the turn and the lead through the lane, and the trotter dug in gamely to record a neck triumph over railshooting Green Pastures, with All Wrapped Up holding commendably for third in the blanket finish (six horses within two lengths at the wire). The winner is trained by Jeff Cullipher for Pollack Racing LLC.
David Miller ($283,922,781 in career earnings and rising rapidly) brought home three winners Wednesday, tops among the sulkysmiths and giving him seven in the first two days of the week at Philly. Two of Miller’s winners are trained by Nifty Norman, the conditioners’ only doubler.
Harrah’s Philly will race on the Fourth of July Friday with a special 12:40 post time; that first race post will also be in effect when the racing week concludes on Sunday afternoon. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.
RSS Feed
