Class risers capture Philly features

CHESTER PA – Three sections of the $12,600 class for horses climbing the class ladder were the highlights as the harness racing week opened at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Wednesday.

The Captaintreacherous three-year-old filly Easyrunner Hanover led at every pole in taking a new mark of 1:52 in the feature section for female pacers. The winner resisted the outside bid of favored Sweet Britches, then parried the late charge of Rocket Roulette by three-quarters of a length for driver Andrew McCarthy, trainer Tony Alagna and owners Brad Grant and Steve Heimbecker while taking her third victory in her last four starts.

EASYRUNNER HANOVER REPLAY

In one of two trotting headliners, the sophomore Muscle Hill colt Magical Muscle Man was an easy 1:54.4 winner for the meet’s leading driver, Tim Tetrick, trainer Marcus Melander, and the partnership of JJ Racing Stable Inc., Midnight Sun Partners Inc., and Holly Lane Stud East LTD. Magical Muscle Man set the pace, getting to the half in :58, then tacked on two :28.2 quarters coming home to be in control to the wire.

MAGICAL MUSCLE MAN REPLAY

The other division of the top trot went to the Political Briefing gelding All Lies in a lifetime best of 1:56.4. Driver George Napolitano Jr. kept All Lies in the pocket behind fast fractions, moved to the lead in early stretch, then withstood the late bid of Nez Perce by a half-length for trainer George Leager, who is co-owner with Stephen Leager.

ALL LIES REPLAY

Thursday is “Trottin’ Thursday” at Harrah’s Philadelphia, and much of the attention will be on three divisions of a class for two-year-old trotting fillies, as they will have their final preps for the Sire Stakes and Stallion Series action at Philly on Friday, August 6. Program pages for the 14-race 12:25 card are available at www.phha.org/harrahspps.html.

For full race results, click here.

From PHHA / Harrah’s Philadelphia