11 stakes races at Harrah’s Philadelphia Wednesday

CHESTER, PA — Two-year-old trotting fillies were certainly out in force on Wednesday afternoon at Harrah's Philadelphia, as the track hosted second round action in both the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes (five divisions) and Pennsylvania Stallion Series (six divisions).

Sonnet Grace now has three stakes wins in as many career starts, including two Sire Stakes triumphs (the only filly to accomplish that feat), after rallying in the passing lane for a 1:57.2 victory.

The daughter of Muscle Massive – I Believe, sporting a granddam who is none other than precocious champion CR Kay Suzie, was content to ride in the pocket behind Magical Beliefs, then outtrotted her home in 28.4, with breeder/owner/trainer/driver Rod Allen barely having to ask his baby filly for more down the lane. In her previous start, Sonnet Grace had also shown a fine late burst to win in 1:56.2 over a sloppy Pocono course, still as fast a mile for any trotter on a 5/8-mile track.

The Explosive Matter – Fast Lane K filly Rush Lane began her career with three straight seconds, including a nose loss to Sonnet Hill in that 1:56.2 mile, but she changed her luck today and got home first while equaling that 1:56.2 season's record. Rush Lane made two early rushes to the lead for driver Yannick Gingras and retained control after the second one, holding off the uncovered bid of favored Personal Paradise by one and three-quarter lengths while stepping home in 58 for trainer Richard Gillock and owner/breeder Robert Key.

Corey Callahan was patient early with the Muscle Hill – UF Tady's Donato filly Scirocco Donnahill, keeping her in back of the cover of favored Fate Smiled, and when that one moved to the lead off the first bend, Callahan went up with "Donnahill," grabbed the racetrack at the 3/8, and maintained her advantage on her main rival to the wire in 1:57.

The John Butenschoen trainee, second in a PA All-Stars race in her only other purse event, won by a length for Kathleen and Lewis Whitaker Jr.

Antonia was away slowly, had to move uncovered from sixth at the 5/16, finally reached cover then gapped it down the backstretch and around the far turn – not very promising a scenario, huh? But the Donato Hanover – Tactical Caviar miss Antonia was tipped wide by David Miller and ate up real estate through the stretch, reaching the wire a half-length ahead of favored pacesetter Darla P while stopping the clock in 1:57, a new mark.

The pupil of Nifty Norman had made a break in her only other purse start yet rallied for fourth, and today she could optimalize her talent for Melvin Hartman, Little E LLC, and the Pinske Stables.

After sweeping four PA All-Stars sections for this division's pacing counterparts last night at Pocono, the Burke Brigade took a Sire Stakes prize at Philly the next afternoon, as the Donato Hanover – Susi's Image distaff Hanovers Best set all the pace for Yannick Gingras, then held off oncharging favorite Ma Was Right by the slightest of margins while stopping the timer in 1:57.

The winner, who made a break in her only other purse start, showed she'll prove tough when behaving in winning for trainer Burke and owner William Fisher.

In Stallion Series action, the Explosive Matter – Nan's Conway miss Navarone Hanover overcame the outside post six and a tuck-then-grind journey for Tim Tetrick, gunning down pacesetter Lindy Missunshine by ¾ of a length late while taking a mark of 1:58. The Bob Baggitt Jr.-trained filly, owned by Christine Baggitt, is now undefeated after two purse starts.

The Muscle Massive – Ts Fast Forward filly Fast Reaction is now two-for-two in the Stallion Series after edging Southwind Percy by a neck in 1:58, lowering her mark. Trainer/driver Rick Beinhauer, also breeder and owner with Regina Beinhauer, used the rail to maximum advantage, putting everybody in behind his filly early, and Fast Reaction had enough energy in her late reaction to preserve the triumph.

Another daughter of Muscle Massive, Wizard Hawk (out of the mare Valley Makayla), was the only filly who could stay close to the fast but bad-mannered Run Lindy Run in the early part of their cut, and after that one put up fractions of 28 and approached a 56.4 half, she made a break and went to the infield.

This change in fortune left Wizard Hawk with a huge lead, which she maintained to the finish for a 1:58.4 maiden victory. Charlie Norris completed a rare "trainer/driver Trifecta" (after Rod Allen and Rick Beinhauer in race card order) with the freshman, owned by Carrie Norris, LJB Racing LLC, and Scott Mceneny.

"If you can keep your head when all about you / are losing theirs …" is the opening of the famous poem "If" by Kipling, and they were the watchwords of driver Victor Kirby and the Explosive Matter – Warrawee Lassie filly Wildfire Seelster in taking their StS cut in a maiden mark of 2:00.1.

Wildfire Seelster was fourth early, then third as the leader broke at the half, then second as the pocketsitter broke into the backstretch, and Kirby steadily advanced the filly, taking the inside path home to a 3¼ length victory over Chanel De Vie. Owner/trainer Austin Brubacker's baby had not been worse than fourth in three purse starts, but she made her breakthrough today by staying calm and steady.

Trainer Ron Burke also captured a Stallion Series division with the Muscle Hill – Say What filly Southwind Storm, making her two-for-two in the StS competition. Matt Kakaley and his Ron Burke-trained filly had control of the race early and were never threatened, stopping the timer in 2:00, which equaled the mark she took in her other Stallion Series win, for Burke Racing Stable LLC, Lawrence Karr, J&T Silva- Purnel & Libby, and Weaver Bruscemi LLC.

The Possess The Will – Raising Rachel filly Fashion Rachel lost her purse debut to the first Stallion Series winner of the day, Navarone Hanover, so perhaps it was poetic justice that she won the last race of the card, a Stallion Series event, in 1:58, holding off the potential pocket rocket and favorite Explosive Mel by a length. David Miller handled the winner for trainer Jim Campbell and owner/breeder Fashion Farms LLC.

To summarize: Yannick Gingras drove two Sire Stakes winners, while driver David Miller and trainer Ron Burke had a victory in both classes … All the Stallion Series winners were favorites except the last one, who paid $6.60, while the only favorite that won in the Sire Stakes was Sonnet Grace, although no winner returned higher than $7.80 … And Sonnet Grace was the only one of the eleven winning stakes fillies not to take a new mark today.

From the PHHA/Harrah's Philadelphia