2yo trotting fillies show talent in PASS

CHESTER, PA – There’s an old harness racing adage that “Rainy days and drunken grooms make good racehorses,” meaning that a horse left to her own natural ability will frequently have the best chance of success. This attitude was prevalent during the second preliminary of the Pennsylvania-sired program on Wednesday (July 19) afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia, as many of the two-year-old trotting filly winners were either pointed to the top and went on to victory, or were moved first-over and went on to the triumph.

After four divisions of the day’s $162,948 Sire Stakes action, Sierrra’s Girl (Bar Hopping – Chuckys Luckycharm) was the only two-time PaSS winner after a 1:56.2 mile for trainer/driver Åke Svanstedt and the partnership of Åke Svanstedt Inc., Young Guns, and Joe Sbrocco & JAF Racing. This filly was one of the few winners not using the two routes described above, instead sitting third on the rail and coming up nicely along the inside in the stretch to tally.

SIERRA GIRL REPLAY

Fastest winner of any baby miss succeeding in a stake was the Fordham Road – A Little Laid Back filly, Little Town Road, who dominated her field on the lead while lowering her mark to 1:55.1. Driver Brady Brown, having an excellent year with freshman trotters in all corners of the state, sulkysat for trainer/owner/legend Roger Hammer while running her purse record to 3-for-5.

LITTLE TOWN ROAD REPLAY

The other two PaSS divisions were taken by daughters of Father Patrick. The Moment (dam Myimpossibledream) grinded to a 1:56.1 maiden success for driver Tim Tetrick, trainer Lucas Wallin, and owners Al Libfeld, Marvin and Lynn Katz, and San Goldband.

THE MOMENT REPLAY

Paulina Hanover (dam Personal Style) was successful from the front in her purse debut in 1:57, with Andrew McCarthy driving for trainer Noel Daley and owner Mario Mazza.

PAULINA HANOVER REPLAY

There were seven $20,000 divisions for the Stallion Series fillies, with the only repeater in the class also being a daughter of Bar Hopping, Tequini Hanover (dam Tangent). She won in 1:57.4, a new mark, for the hot combo of driver Tim Tetrick and Lucas Wallin, with Wiesman Farms LLC and Pieter Delis sharing ownership with the trainer.

There were a pair of 1:56.4 maiden wins tying for fastest in the Stallion Series action: from Fannie Lipkowitz (Greenshoe – Ma Was Right), another success forthe Tetrick / Wallin connection and for owners Wallin and Sherman Stables, and from Norma Pearl (Father Patrick – Celebrity Obsesion), brought home by David Miller for trainer Ron Burke and the partnership of Burke Racing Stable LLC, Knox Services Inc., Lawrence Karr, and J&T Silva- Purnel & Libby.

Philip Scott Sonsteby, a 26-year-old native of Norway, trained his first North American winner when he sent out the Bar Hopping – Miss Aultsville filly Chimebelle to a 1:58.3 victory in her first purse outing. She was driven by Andrew McCarthy for J. Mark Egloff Jr., Max J. Hempt, Philip Scott Racing Stable, and Thomas Biederman.

Nifty Norman trained the other three PaStS winners, two of them driven by Dexter Dunn: the Father Patrick – Beehive filly Magic Bee, who broke her maiden in 1:57.1 for owners David Mc Duffee and Herb Liverman, and the International Moni – Behold The Dream miss Belle Meade, a maiden no more after a 1:58.4 win for Paul Sunderhaus, Carter Duer, Triple Play Trotters LLC, and Enzed Racing Stable Inc. David Miller handled the other “Nifty” winner, the Bar Hopping – Snow Angel Hanover filly Sambuca Hanover, who won her purse debut in 1:58.4 for David Mc Duffee, Paul Bordogna, and Melvin Hartman.

Racing will continue on Thursday at 12:25, with a $1453.17 carryover into the Pick-5 on races five through nine; Friday’s 12:25 card will have handicap paces for fast-class horses of both sexes; and Sunday’s card will be topped by an Open handicap trot. Program pages for all races at Harrah’s Philadelphia are or will be available by clicking here.

For complete race results, click here: US Trotting results.

From the PHHA / Harrah’s Philadelphia