The three-year-old trotting fillies Wixx Hanover and Sister Christina both sat two-hole trips for driver Corey Callahan behind the favourites, then caught the leaders up the inside late in winning the twin $14,400 features at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Thursday afternoon.
Wixx Hanover, a daughter of Donato Hanover who had been having behavioral issues, showed fine manners while trotting in the pocket behind Shinkansen, going past that one in the stretch, and then holding off heavy favourite Cricket Fashion by three-quarters of a length in 1:56 while coming her own back half in :57.1. The fast but fractious filly is trained by Per Engblom, who might have found the key to her, for owners Engblom Stable LLC, Evan Katz and Frank Canzone.
The Father Patrick filly Sister Christina also enjoyed a comfy journey right behind the pacesetting chalk Glacier Hanover, then used the inner lane to overtake the pacesetter and then hold off closing Southwind Sylvestr by a length while taking a new mark of 1:56.4, also going her final half in :57.1. Jim Campbell conditions the winner of three straight for Coyote Wynd Farms.
Kenogami Coco had to take the hard uncovered road from midpack, but he drew away from his field through the lane for Simon Allard to win the $13,000 fast-class trot in 1:55.1, 3-1/4 lengths clear of second-place Sylvesteramerica IT. Kenogami Coco, the winner of his Quebec-bred sophomore championship one year ago this week, is a gelded son of Wheeling N Dealin trained by Deborah Daguet for D Racing Stable Inc. and Yves Sarrazin.
On Friday, Harrah’s Philadelphia will have a special post time of 6 p.m. in order to put on a nighttime extravaganza celebrating 15 years of racing at the southeast Pennsylvania oval, with prizes, surprises, and trips down Memory Lane in store. Program pages for the Friday card can be found at phha.org.
(With files from PHHA / Harrah’s Philadelphia)