Colonial As It, White Belly take top classes

CHESTER PA – White Belly stepped home smartly to score a 1:52.4 win in the pacing division of the two $12,600 features at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Friday afternoon, while Colonial AS IT recorded his third straight victory in 1:55.3 in taking the trotting section.

Rain began to fall late on the Friday card, just as the pacing headliners were going to the gate, but if the deteriorating condition bothered the Sweet Lou gelding White Belly at all, he sure didn’t show it. Driver Todd McCarthy sent him to the lead in front of the stands, then was a passenger as the horse blitzed home in :54.4 to leave Beach Party 2¼ lengths in his wake. The recent acquisition for trainer Scott Di Domenico, who took a new mark, seems to be rounding into top form for Triple D Stables Inc., Minisink Farms LLC, and Stephen Iaquinta.

WHITE BELLY REPLAY

The Readly Express sophomore colt Colonial AS IT made short work of a short field of five, reduced to an even shorter four when second choice College Tuition went offstride at the start. The amount of competition had no effect at all on Colonial AS IT, who went right to command and came home in :57.2 for driver Yannick Gingras, trainer Per Engblom, and Buckstone Land Livestock. (And the colt has eligibility for two more races at this level!)

COLONIAL AS IT REPLAY

The $11,200 top event for fast-class pacers went to the Somebeachsomewhere gelding Somebaddude, who despite first-over duties stayed strong in the stretch to get home first in 1:51.2. Simon Allard drove the winner of $287,662 for trainer Jason Johnson and owner Joshua Jay Graber.

The track’s French-Canadian contingent were the sulky stars of the day: Simon Allard won four races and Yannick Gingras three, with Daniel Dube also recording a tally.

Sunday’s 12:40 card at Philly contains two $22,500 handicap paces. The mares division finds early-season star Machnhope and the consistent Lyons Sentinel in the two outermost starting slots; the contest for males sees San Domino A starting from post seven after a 1:49.3 triumph at Harrah’s in his last start.  Program pages will be available at https://www.phha.org/harrahspps.html.

For full race results, click here.

From PHHA/Harrah’s Philadelphia