Everybody in the five-horse $14,400 featured trot at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Thursday afternoon (May 4) was involved in the action at one point or another, with the winner last year’s freshman champion in his Massachusetts program, Inter Mischief, who took a new mark of 1:54.1 in his 2023 bow.
Donzel Hanover and Cocktail Fashion left side-by-side, with the former putting the latter in behind, then surrendering command to Inter Mischief by the :27.3 quarter. Senna moved late on the first turn and completed the first of two last-to-first sweeps in the race, reaching the half in :56.3, and then being joined down the back by favoured Fashion Annie, who moved up strongly from last as the field went to the three-quarters in 1:25.3.
Fashion Annie went on to get the advantage on the far turn, but Anthony Morgan had gotten Inter Mischief out behind that filly, and in the stretch, the two seasonal first-timers battled. Inter Mischief gained the upper hand late in winning by a half-length for trainer Jamie Sullivan, co-owner of the International Moni colt with Frank Chick.
The chalk won five of the first seven races (average win price $5.91), but then failed to click in the second half of the card (average win price $14.11). Also, three horses came from second-over to post a victory on Thursday – two more than during the entirety of the racing last week. David Miller had the last of the winning cover horses, which gave him daily driving honours with three successes.
Racing resumes at Philly on Friday at 12:25 p.m., with a card that features $20,000 Open Paces for both sexes; there will also be a Superfecta carryover of $1,931.71 into the first race’s wager. There will be a special Kentucky Derby Day live card at Harrah’s on Saturday at 12:40 p.m., and then the racing week will come to its normal conclusion on Sunday at 12:40 p.m., a card which will feature a $20,000 Open Trot. Program pages for all Philly cards will be available on the PHHA website.
(PHHA / Harrah's Philadelphia)