Keep On Rocking A beats Northeast foes

Pat Berry was patient early with the 7-year-old Rocknroll Hanover gelding, and the pair sat well off early fractions of :26.2 and :54.2 controlled first by speedster Tiger Thompson N (Dexter Dunn) and then by Rodeo Rock (Andy McCarthy), who brushed from third with a lap to go. Up the backstretch, Keep On Rocking A angled fourth-over into a live outer flow headed by Our Max Phactor N (Yannick Gingras), who forced a :27.3 third quarter.

As Our Max Phactor N worked onto level pegging with Rodeo Rock, Keep On Rocking A circled four-wide off the home turn, and was urged to sustain his rally through the stretch. Our Max Phactor N worked to a mid-stretch lead, but was nabbed on the line by Keep On Rocking A, whose 1:50.2 score gave him his fifth win of the season. Scott Rocks (Tim Tetrick), eclipsed off cover, just held third over Tiger Thompson N, who emerged up the open stretch as Rodeo Rock faded.

Chris Scicluna owns and trains 21-time winner Keep On Rocking A, whose 8-1 upset keyed a 4-3-9-5-6 combination in the 20-cent Jackpot Hi-5 that returned $717.44 to multiple players. As such, the carryover to Wednesday's (July 3) program has ballooned to $29,289.52.

In the $18,000 top-level conditioned pace, which served as the top supporting event on the 14-race program, Shnitzledosomethin ($5.40) overcame post 8 and cruised to a five-length win in 1:50.3. Corey Callahan drove the 4-year-old Fred And Ginger entire for trainer Dylan Davis and the BFJ Stable, Tom Lazzaro, Ed Gold and Abraham Basen.

The sub-featured $17,000 upper-winners pace saw Love Me Some Lou ($3.40) return to the win column off a brief spell, as he used a first-over push out of midfield to grind down My Delight in 1:51.4. David Miller drove the 3-year-old Sweet Lou colt for owner John Cancelliere and trainer Tom Cancelliere.

Live racing returns on Wednesday afternoon (July 3), with a special 2:05 p.m. first post in place for the 14-race card.

by James Witherite

Harrah's Philadelphia racing media