Asphalt shows liking for grit at Philly

CHESTER PA – On a day when harness racing favorites predominated and a horse had to be close entering the far turn to have a good chance, the Papi Rob Hanover three-year-old filly Asphalt filled both those conditions and won the $13,500 Friday feature for developing distaff pacers at Harrah’s Philadelphia.

ASPHALT REPLAY

Asphalt, the chalk, was rated midpack early by driver Jack Pelling as second choice Odds On Aces Full made two speed moves in early splits of :27.1 and :55.2, then opened some space on the field as the pocketsitter broke midway to the 1:23 three-quarters. But Asphalt was already a steadily-advancing first-over force, and after a good stretch battle Asphalt turned out to be three quarters of a length the more photogenic in the quick clocking of 1:50.2. Jack’s father Brett Pelling trains the seasonal winner of six of eleven for owner Margaret Dey.

There were also two $12,000 subfeatures for the developing female pacers a level below the featured distaffs, both taken by pupils of trainer Robert Cleary.

Faster by a tick was Pirate Princess, a three-year-old daughter of Captaintreacherous who was relentless on the first-up grind against pacesetting TH Summer Lovin and finished a head ahead of her tough foe            in 1:52.3. Corey Callahan turned in the winning drive for owners Royal Wire Products Inc.

PIRATE PRINCESS REPLAY

Trainer Cleary came back to win the other division of this class with the Papi Rob Hanover sophomore filly Wednesday Blue Chip, who made a brush in front of the stands under the guidance of Jack Pelling and was never headed thereafter, taking a new mark of 1:52.4. The winner is owned by Let It Ride Stables Inc.

Fast-class pacing mares had their showcase in a $13,000 contest, which was taken by the Heston Blue Chip mare Pressure Cooker in 1:51.3. The winner was used hard early to get the front, then forced Racin Hungry to expend considerable energy to get by her under the wire the first time around, whereupon she was content to sit in the two-hole as the leader took more heat. Simon Allard moved the winner to the inside passing lane and had a straight path to overhaul the pacesetter for trainer Linda Toscano and the partnership of Let It Ride Stables Inc. (a feature owning double for them), Odds On Racing, and Mac Nichol. All of the feature race winners were the public choice.

PRESSURE COOKER REPLAY

Having good afternoons in the horsemen’s ranks were drivers Mike Cole, who won four times, twice for trainer Jason Brewer; Simon Allard, who won three times, twice for trainer Linda Toscano; and driver Jack Pelling, who had three wins, including one for Robert Cleary, the other doubling trainer. Cleary’s other successful pupil was driven by Corey Callahan, who had two wins.

The local racing week concludes on Sunday at 12:40, with male pacers grabbing center stage, headed by a $13,000 event for the fast-class veterans. Harrah’s Philly will then race the next Thursday (25^th), Friday (26^th) and Sunday (28^th), then go dark for a track overhaul, reopening with racing on Friday, February 10. 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