Fastest mile of the season for Let It Ride N

CHESTER PA – The Rock N Roll Heaven harness racing gelding Let It Ride N paced the fastest mile of the 2022 season at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Sunday afternoon, winning the $22,500 featured handicap pace in 1:49.2 with the temperature at the 90 degree mark.

Let It Ride N showed good gate speed for driver Todd McCarthy but was outleft just to his right by No Lou Zing, who was a slight favorite as both were dispatched at 8-5. No Lou Zing set fractions of :26.1, :55, and 1:22, with Backstreet Shadow coming out of fourth to challenge before the last-named station.

No Lou Zing still looked in control when he suddenly made a break past midturn, being taken inside the pylons and not severely bothering his two closest rivals. Let It Ride N proved the better in the stretch duel, winning by 1¼ lengths, with inside-hugging Lyons Steel just another neck back in third.

The winner, now with earnings of $582,234, is trained by Nifty Norman for owners William Hartt and Enzed Racing Stable Inc.

LET IT RIDE N REPLAY

A $16,200 fast-class pacing co-feature saw the Sweet Lou gelding Pyro hold off a late rush by None Bettor A in 1:50.3, bumping the veteran’s earnings to $537,843 for the meet’s leading trainer, Gilbert Garcia-Owen, and owner/father Gilbert Garcia-Herrera.  George Napolitano Jr. was willing to pay a :26 price to make the lead with Pyro, got a major league breather to the :55.3 half, and then passed the three-quarters in 1:22.4 before withstanding None Bettor A by a head.

The Captaintreacherous sophomore filly Don’t Fence Me in, off a $345,782 season at two, made her three-year-old bow in a $13,000 distaff pacing feature against older rivals, but she was still able to be victorious in 1:50.3 for trainer Tony Alagna and the partnership of Riverview Racing LLC, Alagna Racing LLC, Steven Head, and Pryde Stables Inc. Scott Zeron kept the filly fourth “against the fence” until the three-quarters, and when he pulled out with her she shifted into a very high gear very quickly, overhauling pacesetting favorite Always B Laughlin by a neck while traveling her own last split in an eye-catching :26.3.

Also making a winning sophomore seasonal debut for Alagna was the Huntsville colt Caviart Camden, who set the world record for his division of 1:48.3 last year; here he overcame post eight for a 1:52.1 tally for driver Joe Bongiorno and Caviart Farms.

Tuesday morning qualifiers at Philly will feature two talented trotters: the five-year-old Amigo Volo and the three-year-old Double Deceiver.

Racing resumes on Wednesday at 12:25; Wednesday is also the day Harrah’s draws for its spectacular Sunday card of the 29^th, featuring three $100,000 Invitationals and Pennsylvania Sire Stakes action for three-year-old pacing fillies.

For complete race results, click here.

From the PHHA/Harrah’s Philadelphia