Niki Hill sharp in Philly qualifier

CHESTER, PA – The three-year-old harness racing pacing filly Niki Hill, last year’s divisional champion, was a strong-finishing winner in her qualifier on Tuesday morning at Harrah’s Philadelphia, with two-time divisional champion Lyons Sentinel a rapidly-closing second in her first trip behind the starting gate this year in another qualifier.

The Always B Miki filly Niki Hill had cut the mile in her first seasonal qualifier only to be caught by half a length by Treacherous Dragon, who went on to win her 2022 purse debut at Pocono this past Sunday.

In this event, Niki Hill was taken back to fifth in a six-horse field by driver Dexter Dunn, who unleashed her going down the backstretch and covered the last half with her in :55.1 – :26.4 to complete a 1:54.3 victory over a “+1 variant” racetrack in heavy winds. The winner of $904,557 has been brought to readiness by trainer Chris Ryder for owner Tom Hill.

Lyons Sentinel, top older mare of last year and a winner of $2,003,944, paced her first quarter in :30.2 in getting away third in her qualifier – and then came her back three-quarters in 1:23, with her own last quarter in :27 for driver Tim Tetrick, in finishing 1¾ lengths behind Mach Doro A. The race will serve as a useful prep for the Captaintreacherous mare, who is trained by Jim King Jr. for Threelyonsracing.

Given the events of this last Saturday, a word is in order about race winner Mach Doro A – who wasn’t even on the original list of entries for the qualifier, being “added on” at the last minute, like a certain horse in Louisville named Rich Strike. Mach Doro A is a good horse in his own right, with earnings of $509,561 and a mark of 1:49.4 taken last year – at age ten – in a Philly qualifier!

And as for Team Tetrick / King, they won on Tuesday with two sophomores who are already quite familiar with Niki Hill from competition last year – the Sweet Lou filly Lyons Serenity, who tacked on a :27 last quarter in her 1:54.2 engine triumph for Threelyonsracing,  and the Captaintreacherous miss Captain Cowgirl, who made every pole a winning one in 1:54.2 – :27.3 for owners Jo Ann Looney-King and Kenneth Frieder.

For full qualifier results, click here.

From the PHHA/Harrah’s Philadelphia