On Sunday afternoon (May 21) at Harrah’s Philadelphia, the main attractions were a world record and a track record in “odd-distance” races along with a sharp win in the $20,000 Open Trot by Pappardelle in 1:52.2.
Pappardelle, the winner of the Brennan Series final at Yonkers on April 26 and away from the races since then, showed no rust in fronting his field in a 1:52.2 in the $20,000 Open Handicap Trot. Wide early and out to the :27 quarter before grabbing control of the engine, the gelded son of Wishing Stone put up middle splits of :56 and 1:24 under the guidance of Joe Bongiorno, then marched home unthreatened 3-3/4 lengths ahead of Yanks Dugout, who photoed favoured Yall Beneath Me.
Pappardelle has now won his last four starts and six of his last seven. His success here boosted the Jenn Bongiorno trainee, owned by The Delaware Group, Joe Sbrocco, JB Racing and JAF Racing LLC, to $219,457.
Dirt On My Boots broke the world pacing record for five-eighths of a mile on a five-eighths-mile track with a 1:06.3 victory at the sprint distance. The former world record, 1:06.4, was set by Rose Run Uriah at Dover Downs earlier this year, and the track record of 1:07.1 by Toatsmygoats was obviously also eclipsed.
The world record sprint was strictly a two-horse affair between the two favourites – Hes Rockin Ralphie was rockin’ and rollin’ in posting amazing fractions of :26 and :52.3, with Dirt On My Boots gradually narrowing in the latter stages. Dirt In My Boots caught the pacesetter by 1-1/4 lengths under the handling of Simon Allard for trainer Jody Dunning and owners Paul Piper Reid and Alvin Stafford.
Another “odd distance” race altered another line in the Philly record books, as Mister Boinga took control on the second of four turns and trotted 1-1/4 miles in 2:26.1, breaking a co-held mark of 2:27 that was set within three races of each other on Oct. 13, 2016 by Xtatic Hanover and Valley Of Sin. Mister Boinga won by 4-1/4 lengths for driver Pat Berry, trainer Jill Roland and owner Bernard O’Brien.
Berry and Tim Tetrick tied for the day’s driving honours with three victories.
Racing this coming week will be held on Wednesday through Friday at 12:25 p.m. (EDT) and Sunday at 12:40 p.m. This next Sunday (May 28), Harrah’s Philadelphia is proud to host what may be the best card of North American harness racing so far this year – three $100,000 Invitationals in the Maxie Lee Trot, the Joseph Auger Pace and the Betsy Ross Pace for distaffs, along with the “glamour division” of the Pennsylvania-sired program, the three-year-old pacing colts, in both Sire Stakes and Stallion Series competition (the card to be drawn Wednesday).
(PHHA/Harrah's Philadelphia)