Agedchedar Hanover rallies to Philly feature win

CHESTER PA – Agedchedar Hanover (Betterthancheddar), who sat in the pocket last week and may have been bottomed out behind lightning fractions, went back to his come-from-behind ways Friday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia, sweeping wide from third-over to beat a talented harness racing field gathered for the $15,000 fast-class pace in 1:52.2 with the mercury just above freezing.

A Rocknroll Star, winner of last week’s feature, made two early moves to set the pace with splits of :27.3, :55.4, and 1:23.4, with Virgo looming in the pocket. Ridge Warren had the victorious gelding well off the pace, then sent him three-wide late on the turn and got enough rally from him to defeat Virgo along the inside by half a length, with Teddy Disco A blasting from last to be third ahead of A Rocknroll Star in a finish that saw these four within a length of each other at the wire.

AGEDCHEDAR HANOVER REPLAY

Jake Leamon trains the winner, who after going winless in 2023 here posted his ninth success of this year, for owner Dona McDonald.

Another frequent winner in the 2024 campaign, the Stay Hungry sophomore gelding Tyson Hanover, rocketed right to the lead and withstood a late charge from potential pocket rocket Ishotthesheriff GB by three-quarters of a length to capture the $13,500 co-featured pace in 1:52.2. Tyson Hanover, an 11-time winner this season in but 15 starts, was driven by Anthony Morgan for trainer Willard Reynolds and owner Mark Howard.

TYSON HANOVER REPLAY

The horsemen came in for shares of glory as much as their horses did on Friday. Veteran horseman Bruce Clarke, with 2952 driving victories in a distinguished career, added a milestone training win to his resume when Beach Town Boy rallied strongly very late to win the last race, becoming the 1000th training winner that the 66-year-old native of Scarborough ONT has harnessed.

BEACH TOWN BOY/BRUCE CLARKE MILESTONE REPLAY

Tony Morgan and Tim Tetrick started the day with 31,957 sulky successes between them, and concluded the card with 31,962, as Morgan had a triple and Tetrick, the track’s leading driver, a double. Ridge Warren also guided three winners, and doubles were also recorded by driver Simon Allard and trainers Johnny Crites Jr. and Darren Taneyhill.

Philly closes its racing week on Sunday with a 12:40 post time; there will be a carryover into the fifth race Pick 5 wager. The last two weeks of the year, Harrah’s changes to a Friday-Sunday-holiday Tuesday schedule; Friday’s first race will go at 12:25 and Sunday’s at 12:40, but on Christmas Eve the action will start at noon, and the final card of 2024 will begin at 4 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. 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