Tetrick lifts Flight Of Fritz to gritty win

CHESTER PA – The leading harness racing driver at Harrah’s Philadelphia, Tim Tetrick, was able to just get enough out of the Pilot Discretion sophomore gelding Flight Of Fritz to defeat favored filly Moni Buys Happynes to win the $13,500 feature on “Trottin’ Thursday” at the southeast Pennsylvania oval.

FLIGHT OF FRITZ REPLAY

Moni Buys Happynes, who had a 7-4-2-0 record coming into the race after not racing at two, went out to command and put up fractions of :27.4 and :57.2. Tetrick roared up from midpack uncovered down the backstretch to take a small advantage before the 1:26.4 three-quarters, and while the lead showed grit by keeping her foe hung at the end of the backstretch and through the turn, she could not resist his persistent onslaught in the stretch, with Flight Of Fritz reducing his mark 2 3/5 seconds with the 1:55.3 victory. The winner triumphed by three-quarters of a length for trainer Scott Di Domenico and his Triple D Stables Inc., partner with co-owner Michael Rekoon.

Tetrick got a second win before heading to Dover for Matron Stake action, this one also for Di Domenico, who had a total of three on the day. They combined with the Sebastian K S gelding Benjamin Hanover, who was just too good for his opposition as he won by five lengths in 1:54.2, although 123-1 shot Meadowbranch Noble enlivened the pari-mutuel action by finishing second. Benjamin Hanover, with 26 victories in 48 career starts, is owned by Angela Cornell.

Two $12,000 trots for developing younger horses went to the Tactical Landing three-year-old gelding Clear For Landing, now a six-time winner in ten career starts after also not racing at two, in 1:58.4 for driver Simon Allard, trainer Per Engblom, and Consus Racing Stable Inc., and 20-1 proposition DW’s Lady Diva, a sophomore daughter of Devious Man who posted a 1:59.1 triumph for driver George Napolitano Jr., trainer Neal Ehrhart, and owner Jaypaul Hoover.

Di Domenico led the horsemen today with his three wins; others with multiple success stories besides Tetrick were driver Johnathan Ahle and trainer Åke Svanstedt combining with each other twice, and George Napolitano Jr. in the sulky.

Friday’s 12:25 card at Harrah’s Philadelphia will feature no fewer than seven divisions of the second preliminary leg of a series for $10,000 claimers, with four of last week’s five first round winners back in action trying to earn their way into their November 30 Championship. 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