A quartet of $12,600 contests for developing horses, three on the pace and one on the trot, headlined the Thursday afternoon action at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
The Heston Blue Chip gelding Flash Move, coming off two seconds in Pennsylvania Stallion Series racing, flashed to the top by the quarter for driver Andrew McCarthy, then paced home in :55.4 in lowering his mark to 1:51.3. Trainer Robert Cleary co-owns the quick pacer, who is 5-2-2-0 this year after not racing at two, along with Royal Wire Products Inc.
There were two divisions for filly pacers. The faster went to the Lazarus N filly Lisa Lane, coming off of three cheques in New Jersey Sire Stakes competition and able to front her field throughout in a new mark of 1:52.2, with swift back fractions of :55 and :27. Patrick Ryder was in the sulky for trainer/father Chris Ryder, who along with his son is also co-owner with Nadia Tarnawa.
In the other distaff pace, the Sweet Lou sophomore Lulu Rocks looked hopelessly stuck in a blindswitch as horses swept wide on the turn, but trainer/driver Pat Lachance backed her out to the extreme outside in the lane and overhauled stretch leader Allrighty Then by a length in 1:54.1. Lachance also owns the winner with Monmouth Bay Racing LLC and Edward De Rosa.
On the trot, the International Moni three-year-old gelding Allmoni and driver David Miller roared by heavy favourite Double Dippin down the backstretch, and although that one kept up the pursuit to the line, Allmoni held a 1-1/2-length margin at the finish while equalling his mark of 1:57.1. Trainer Jason Johnson owns the winner of three of four in 2023 with Edward and Kelly Moore.
Exciting Open Handicap Paces going for $20,000 will head the final two days of Harrah’s racing week. On Friday’s 12:25 p.m. card, distaffs gathering for the feature include the winners of the last two Betsy Ross Paces, Max Contract and Majorca N. The 12:40 p.m. program on Sunday will feature Southwind Gendry, who set an all-age track record of 1:47.2 in his last start here, although the mark didn’t last the afternoon as Ruthless Hanover lowered it to 1:46.3. Program pages for all races at Harrah’s Philadelphia will be available on the Pennsylvania Harness Horsemen's Association website.
(PHHA / Harrah’s Philadelphia)