Two three-year-old daughters of Muscle Hill who were $300,000-plus yearling purchases finished 1-2 in the $14,400 trotting feature at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Friday (June 24) with Delilah Hanover overcoming a 22-day layoff and an uncovered trip to catch Cash Machine Girl in 1:54.3.
Cash Machine Girl, starting from the inside of the six-horse field, made a move to command past a :29.1 quarter and put up middle fractions of :57.4 and 1:25.3. Delilah Hanover, whose second dam produced Donato Hanover, left from the outside of the field, tucked fourth, then commenced a late backstretch brush for driver Todd McCarthy. The two sophomores battled each other around the turn and into the lane, and it was Delilah Hanover who proved the better by 1-1/4 lengths while coming her own last half in :55.4, putting her two-for-three this campaign and boosting her bankroll to $167,154 for trainer Nifty Norman and the ownership of David McDuffee, Melvin Hartman, Paul Bordogna, and Mary Kinsey Arnold.
In the very next race trainer Nifty Norman combined with a McCarthy brother to make a sweep of the day's featured events as Andrew McCarthy guided Hellabalou to a 1:50.4 victory. The four-year-old son of Sweet Lou, winner of the Adios and $393,201 in 2021, was glad to not see the likes of Carbine and Bulldog Hanover in against him and dashed to the front, recording splits of :26.1, :55.1, and 1:23 en route to a four-length triumph, his initial victory of the year for owner Eric Good.
Andrew McCarthy and George Napolitano Jr. tied for the day’s honours by each steering three winners.
The racing week concludes on Sunday (June 26) at Harrah’s Philadelphia, with two $13,000 fast-class paces and two divisions of the American Harness Drivers Club series for amateur drivers the featured events. First post time for the Sunday program is 12:40 p.m.; programs are available at the PHHA website.
(PHHA / Harrah’s Philadelphia)