Allywag Hanover relishes class relief

CHESTER PA – After finishing second to the World’s Fastest Harness Horse, Bulldog Hanover, in two of his first three 2022 harness racing starts, the Captaintreacherous gelding Allywag Hanover obviously relished some class relief Sunday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia, taking the $22,500 handicap pacing feature in 1:49.2.

Last year’s older pacing champion was sent to the lead from the outside in the field of six by driver Todd McCarthy (top driver of the day with four victories) and reached that spot before the :26.4 first clocking, then continued on to midrace fractions of :55.2 and 1:22.3. Fellow millionaire Southwind Ozzi came out of the pocket on the far turn to gain some and momentarily give the crowd a thrill, but McCarthy sat chilly in the bike as Allywag Hanover came home in :26.4 to a deceptively-easy victory, with the game Southwind Ozzi three-quarters of a length back.

ALLYWAG HANOVER REPLAY

The winner of $1,253,530 got his first success of this season for trainer Brett Pelling and the Allywag Stable.

Virgo (Always A Virgin) commenced an uncovered bid from third past the five-eighths of the $15,300 co-featured pace after Pat McGarry A had put up early fractions of :26.2 and :55.1, and kept gaining even though the timer read 1:21.4 at the three-quarters.

Corey Callahan guided the altered son of Always A Virgin to the lead in the stretch, then won the late battle of yellow-and-green by holding off strong closer Southwind Sandor (Tim Tetrick) by a neck in 1:49.3. Dylan Davis co-owns the winner of $377,872 with Howard Taylor.

VIRGO REPLAY

Tony Beltrami, who won two of the American Harness Drivers Club paces on the Friday card at Philly, came back and swept the two trots carded for amateur horsemen on Sunday: All Rise (Conway Hall) didn’t see the rail until the three-quarters but still won in 1:57.4 for owner Beltrami and trainer Edwin Quevedo, and then Tidquist (Conway Hall) overcame first-over duties to record a 1:56.2 win for owner/trainer John Obert.

Two-year-old colts in the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes and Stallion Series will be the featured performers at the beginning of this coming week – pacers on Wednesday and trotters on Thursday. Program pages are or will be available by clicking here.

For complete race results, click here.

From the PHHA/Harrah’s Philadelphia