The popular $12,600 features for developing younger horses drew four divisions of promising trotters and pacers on a hot Wednesday (June 30) at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
Distaff pacers got the card started with a 1:51.4 mile, and at the finish everyone knew that McCarthy had driven the winner – but was it Todd or Andrew? The photo showed it was the Somebeachsomewhere sophomore filly Beach Crazy and Todd McCarthy who rallied up the inside to get a nose advantage over favored Nashville Elgenna and brother Andrew. Beach Crazy lowered her mark a tick for trainer Stacy Chiodo, whose Chiodo Racing LLC co-owns the in-form filly with Jeffery Shore and Robert Barr.
In the division of the feature for trotters, Andrew McCarthy got his turn in the spotlight with the Father Patrick 3-year-old gelding Southwind Caeser, using the passing lane in defeating Big Sky Ex in 1:56 by a length. Roni Vandervort conditions the sophomore for the partnership of Connie and Homer Hochstetler, Robert Buddig, and Allen Schwartz.
Todd McCarthy reclaimed the focus by guiding the faster winner in the two divisions of the features for male pacers. He kept the Betting Line gelding Imaginary Line inside to the three-quarters, then gained into the :27.4 kicker to get a neck advantage over railshooting Carbine in a lifetime mark 1:52; heavy favorite Serious Miki, who had set the pace, was another neck back in third. The winner is trained by Ron Coyne Jr. for his Ron Coyne Stables Inc., Blair Corbeil, Mike McAllister, and Edward Pachuta.
The other section for pacing males went as expected to the Sweet Lou gelding White Belly, who came into the care of trainer Scott Di Domenico in early May and now has two firsts and two seconds in his last four starts after a 1:52.4 victory here. Tim Tetrick put the chalk on the lead, and nobody could catch him in a :55.4 back half. What About Bob tried hard but came up a length shy. The winning 4-year-old is owned by Triple D Stables Inc., Minisink Farms LLC, and Stephen Iaquinta.
Todd McCarthy won the last race to take honours on the day with four wins, one ahead of his brother and Tetrick. Trainer Darran Cassar also had a triple on the day.
A two-year-old to be watched is Wolftrax, who lost his cover on the far turn but still went on strongly to defeat American Artist K by 1 1/2 lengths in 1:53.3 in his first betting start. Wolftrax certainly has the breeding to be a top horse (by the hot young sire Betting Line out of the $1.5M-winner Cathedra Dot Com), and he finished very sharply for drive Scott Zeron, trainer Paula Wellwood, and her family’s Dreamville Stable.
A pair of $14,400 contests highlight the “Trottin’ Thursday” card (July 1) at Philly as the calendar swings into the second half of the year. Post time is 12:25 p.m. (EDT); program pages are available at https://www.phha.org/harrahspps.html.
(PHHA / Harrah's Philadelphia)