Big Oil puts in big mile

CHESTER, PA – The Father Patrick four-year-old Big Oil may be finding himself in top FFA company soon after he posted a 1:52.3 victory over odds-on favorite Scirocco Rob in the $16,200 featured trot at Harrah’s Philadelphia Thursday afternoon.

Andy Miller got his charge to the lead nearing the 1/8 pole, then was content to yield the engine near the :26.4 opener to the charging favorite, who posted middle splits of :55.1 and 1:23.4. Scirocco Rob still had the lead turning for home, but Miller had two handfuls of horse when he tipped him out wide, going on to post a three-quarters of a length victory.

BIG OIL REPLAY

A world champion at two when he posted the fastest trotting dead-heat ever with Real Cool Sam at Lexington, Big Oil held his own with stakes company at two and three, but he may never have been better as he has won three of his last four, boosting his earnings to $229,706. Andy’s wife Julie trains the sharp trotter for Jason, Douglas, and Ronald Allen.

The Explosive Matter gelding Baldaquin is now five, and was making only his twelfth career start in the $14,400 co-featured trot, but he showed his usual gameness to circle off cover and then hold off another late charger, Focus Pocus, by a neck while taking a new mark of 1:55.2 under the handling of Marcus Miller.

Baldaquin has a career record of 12-5-4-2-1, and his connections, trainer Louise Pepin and owner Steven Bryden, hope that he can maintain racing form for a longer period now – especially while he is still eligible for one more start in this same class.

BALDAQUIN REPLAY

Two-year-olds got into the “Trottin’ Thursday” action in their pari-mutuel debuts. Among the males, David Miller guided the Father Patrick – With Sugar colt Torrone to the lead, got to the half in a fast-jog 1:00.4, then scurried home in :58.1 – 28.1 to hold off a determined first-over bid by favored Parola Hanover by a neck at the end of the 1:59 mile. The Joe Holloway trainee, owned by Brittany Farms LLC, Val D’ Or Farms, and Ted Gewertz, had already posted a 1:58.4 win in a Gaitway baby race.

In the race for fillies, names associated with top-level pacing females – driver Tim Tetrick, trainer Jim King Jr., owner Jo Ann Looney-King – were the force behind the trotting winner, the Bar Hopping – Phabaj Hanover miss Whiskey Girl, who held off the closing Gumdrop Hanover by            in 2:00, her own best clocking, and gives her another winning line to pair to her baby race victory here.

Four $12,600 contests highlight the Friday Philly card, and all have 8-5 favorites on the early line: Red Redemption and A Hopeful Prayer in the trots, Mikala in the distaff pace, and Betterthanthebeach in the pace for males. Program pages for the 12:25 card are available at https://www.phha.org/harrahspps.html.

For full race results, click here.

From the PHHA/Harrah’s Philadelphia