Gerard maintains newfound success

CHESTER PA – Developing harness racing horses and seasoned veterans shared the spotlight on “Trottin’ Thursday” at Harrah’s Philadelphia.

The word “developing” applies to the Trixton four-year-old gelding Gerard better than it does to most horses: he had a lifetime scorecard of 40-1-12-7 on May 1, but since then he has learned to win with four triumphs in his last eight starts, including a 1:55 mile in one of Thursday’s two $14,400 trots. Gerard went right to the top despite the outside post seven, yielded when favored Victoriana brushed to the lead, then pulled out headstretch and surged past for a 1¼ length victory. Gerard boosted his lifetime bankroll to $101,377 while equaling his lifetime best for trainer James De Lucia and This N That Stable.

GERARD REPLAY

The other high-purse trot saw the Father Patrick mare Cocktails N Dreams go the mile of her life, having to negotiate the tough first-over route and still be able to get home first in 1:54.2, as fast as she’s ever gone. Todd McCarthy drove the winner of $139,609 for trainer Trish Adams and the ownership of Benjamin Gordon and Never Too Late Racing.

COCKTAILS N DREAMS REPLAY

In a $13,000 fast-class trot contest, the Muscle Massive gelding Northern Express made two moves to control the pace then had enough to hold off a group of favored closers, with Northern Express’s 1:54 mile enabling him to keep clear of the closest threat at the finish, Eva Dairpet FR, by a half-length. The winner of $210,625 was handled by Russell Foster for trainer/owner/father Arty Foster Jr.

NORTHERN EXPRESS REPLAY

Dexter Dunn drove four winners on the day, including two for Hall of Fame trainer Chuck Sylvester.

Youngsters will contest the feature races on the Friday card, with a $12,600 contest for male pacers in race three, trotters in race nine, and female pacers in race thirteen. Program pages are available at www.phha.org/harrahspps.html.

For full race results, click here.

From PHHA / Harrah’s Philadelphia