It didn’t take long before Harrah’s Philadelphia's first sub-1:50 mile of 2024 was posted, as All Class won the $17,808 featured pace in 1:49.3 on Sunday, April 14, just the second program of the year at the southeast Pennsylvania oval.
Many horses took advantage of a backstretch tailwind to throw in a hot quarter en route to victory throughout the card, but David Miller had the son of Heston Blue Chip on the boil throughout. Miller moved All Class by the early leader Dragononthebeach near the :26.3 opening station and then going faster than :28 in each subsequent split, with mid-fractions of :54.2 and 1:22. At the finish, All Class maintained a 1-1/4-length lead while Dragononthebeack gave brave but futile chase to the wire behind the Per Engblom trainee, who is owned by Morrison Racing Stables.
The victory was the first of the four-year-old campaign for All Class through two starts and the ninth win of his career. The 1:49.3 clocking was just one-fifth of a second off of his lifetime best and All Class sports a career bankroll of $159,670.
Todd McCarthy took honours in the driver's colony for the day with a trio of sulky successes. The last was behind Literl Lad Hanover, who will have the opportunity to repeat at Harrah's Philidelphia on consecutive cards when racing resumes on Thursday, April 18. First post for the Thursday card will be 12:25 p.m.
(PHHA/Harrah's Philadelphia)