Take All Comers reversed the decision of the last Open Trot at Harrah’s Philadelphia, sitting in the pocket behind his previous conqueror Lexus Kody and then catching that one up the inside to win Sunday afternoon’s $20,000 Open Handicap Trot in 1:53.3 over a sloppy “+2” track.
Take All Comers and Lexus Kody were assigned the outer two posts in the feature field, and once again Lexus Kody stepped around his rival before the quarter, setting fractions of :27.1, :57 and 1:25.3. However, the Creatine gelding Take All Comers had missed a turn before his last start – here, after taking one fumbly step entering the passing lane, he accelerated powerfully to pick up the pacesetter by a half-length, which was the margin of his last defeat.
Tim Tetrick, fresh off a monster Meadowlands Pace Night, guided Take All Comers, a winner of $594,093, for trainer Jim Campbell and owners Runthetable Stables.
Tetrick and Campbell came back to capture the very next race, also a trot, and in an even faster clocking, 1:53, over the off going. The Walner mare Fashion Schooner overcame the outermost draw in winning the Hambletonian Oaks last year, and she overcame the far outside against this less-difficult field, with fractions of :28.1, :56.3 and 1:24.4 leading to a final clocking of 1:53 as Fashion Schooner won by 5-1/4 lengths. Fashion Farms LLC owns the winner, who improved her lifetime earnings to $746,801 with the winner's share of the $15,300 purse.
The top contest for pacers was a $16,200 fast-class affair, with RIP Wheeler three-wide at two different points of the early action (:28) before getting the lead in front of the stands and putting up mid-fractions of :56.1 and 1:23.4. They were across the track pursuing him in the stretch, but the Rockin Image gelding stood firm to traverse the sloppy course in 1:51.2, defeating pocket-sitting Captain Crusader A by a length for driver Corey Callahan, trainer Hunter Oakes and owners Thaddeus Weir, Donald MacRae and Stephen Klunowski.
If you like watching two-year-old filly trotters, they’ll be coming at you 11 fields strong at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Wednesday at 12:25 p.m. with four divisions of Pennsylvania Sire Stakes misses and seven sections of Pennsylvania Stallion Series freshmen. There will also be a carryover of $1917.94 into the third race Hi-5 wager. Program pages for all races at Harrah’s Philadelphia will be available on the Pennsylvania Harness Horsemen's Association.
Stillwell Stuns in AHDC Upset
Jacob Stillwell sustained speed from H T Three to land a 13-1 score in the lone $9,900 American Harness Drivers Club (AHDC) Pace, one of three AHDC events on the Sunday afternoon card.
Leaving from post five, Stillwell planted H T Three on the lead to a :28.2 first quarter with Gaius Crastinus (driven by Joe Lee) in the pocket. With no challengers in the mirror, Stillwell snagged a breather to a :59 half, which prompted Somwherenbrookln N (Yogi Sheridan) to blitz along the rim with 1-9 favourite The Downtown Bus (Anthony Verruso) in tow.
The soft front half let Stillwell go full throttle up the backside to three-quarters in 1:26.4 and dispose of Somwherenbrookln N and The Downtown Bus to the final turn. He then survived on the lead as 54-1 shot Sporty Dragon (Raymond Burt) came barrelling into action late but finished a neck short of victory. My Wish Came True (Frank Tsipouras) closed for third and Gaius Crastinus held fourth.
Allie Reynolds trains H T Three, a four-year-old gelding by Mr Wiggles, for owner Howard Slotoroff. He paid $29 to win.
John Calabrese catapulted from well off the speed to deliver as the odds-on choice in the first of two $9,900 AHDC Trots in 1:58. Calabrese settled seventh with Newell Place as Brownie (Mike Polansky) led to a :28.2 first quarter and soon endured first-over pressure from Drazzmatazz (Frank Tsipouras) with a circuit to go. Drazzmatazz continued pestering Brownie through a :57.2 half and 1:27 three-quarters as the backfield sprung to life towards the final turn. Newell Place came wide and seized command off the final turn from late-leader Big Sky Ex (Yogi Sheridan) to claim victory by a half length. Smart As Hill (James Slendorn) closed from last for third and Winneress (Anthony Verruso) took fourth.
Calabrese trains and owns Newell Place, a four-year-old Andover Hall mare, through his Calabrese Farms LLC. She paid $3.40 to win.
Speed held in the other $9,900 AHDC Trot when James Slendorn went coast to coast in rein to Sheena Soldier in 1:56.1. Launching from post six, Sheena Soldier secured command to a :28 first quarter and strolled to a :57.3 half before encountering any challenge. Real Mccoy (Dante Scattolini) went charging uncovered along the rim and drew alongside Sheena Soldier by three-quarters in 1:26.3, but Sheena Soldier repelled the challenger and scooted clear to a two-length win. Pocket-sitter Bang Bang Boinga (Yogi Sheridan) took second from Real Mccoy in third with 6-5 favourite Allindotime (John Calabrese) closing for fourth.
Chris Height conditions Sheena Soldier, a six-year-old gelding by Father Patrick, for owner James Slendorn. He paid $6.80 to win.
AHDC action continues next Sunday, July 23 with another preliminary for the club’s summer series at Harrah’s Philadelphia. First-race post time at Harrah’s Philadelphia is 12:45 p.m. (EDT).
(With files from PHHA/Harrah’s Philadelphia and AHDC)