Lazarus N gelding goes quick before the rain hits

CHESTER PA – The rain came to Harrah’s Philadelphia late on the Sunday afternoon harness racing card, but not before the two $12,000 feature races for developing horses had been contested over a fast track.

AVELLINO REPLAY

The feature for pacing males went to the Lazarus N gelding Avellino, who was moved to the lead in the second quarter by driver Johnathan Ahle and maintained his advantage to the wire, withstanding Meltdown Monte by three quarters of a length while taking a new mark of 1:51.4 for trainer-owner A. Tony Monica.

On the trot two longshots were noses part at the wire, as 18-1 shot Last Of Braggart, a Braggart gelding (spellings correct) overcame a first-over journey to hold off Express Pac, the horse on his back, by the smallest possible margin while posting a 1:56.4 clocking, within a fifth of his lifetime mark. Mark Herschberger guided the winner for trainer Britney Dillon and owner Howard Taylor.

Doubles were recorded by trainer Izzy Estrada, the track’s leading conditioner, and drivers Johnathan Ahle, Eric Goodell, and Mark Herschberger. Goodell’s two-bagger is worth an extra mention, as the winner of 5896 races in his career had not driven since last November 5 at Cumberland Run.

Philly goes back to its three-day-a-week schedule starting this week, with Thursday and Friday cards at 12:25 and Sunday programs at 12:40. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

For complete race results, click here: US Trotting results.

From the PHHA/Harrah’s Philadelphia