A quartet of $11,200 featured events for younger horses — two on the pace and two on the trot — topped the Friday afternoon (Dec. 11) action at Harrah’s Philadelphia, with trainer Rob Harmon sweeping the trotting top classes.
In the first trotting headliner, Itsonlymoneyhoney held off the late charge of favoured Protostar by a length to reduce his mark to 1:56.4. The three-year-old Banker Volo gelding, who notched his eleventh lifetime triumph, was all systems “go” for driver Marcus Miller and the partnership of Harmon Racing Stable LLC, Lawrence Kittenplan and Winners Circle Racing LLC.
The other Harmon winner was the Trixton sophomore filly Alyvia Deo, who brushed from fifth to first during the second quarter and went on nicely to win in 1:57 for driver Tim Tetrick and Synerco Ventures Inc.
In the first pacing contest, the sophomore Well Said gelding Meet The Creeper rallied off a contested front end, pacing his own back half in :55.4 to lower his mark to 1:53 while returning $39.60 to win for trainer-driver Stacy Chiodo and her Chiodo Racing LLC. Pacesetter Tail Hook held for second, three-quarters of a length back.
The other pacing division saw the three-year-old Sweet Lou gelding Lous Sweetrevenge press on to early command and then sprint home in :28 under urging from Yannick Gingras to win in 1:53.3 and capture his second straight for the ownership of Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Phil Collura and J&T Silva-Purnel & Libby.
Gingras and Marcus Miller had three wins apiece on the card, as did trainer Ron Burke.
The $10,000 fast-class pace saw Bo Mach take his second straight victory since returning from a layoff of almost three months. Andy McCarthy sent him to the lead in front of the stands and had no problem thereafter, finishing out the mile in 1:51.2 and boosting his lifetime bankroll to $290,086. Dylan Davis trains the Mach Three gelding for Howard Taylor.
(PHHA/Harrah's Philadelphia)