Youngsters impress in Harrah’s co-features

CHESTER, PA – A quartet of $12,600 featured harness racing events topped the Wednesday card at Harrah’s Philadelphia – two for pacers, one for each sex, and two open events for trotters.

The pacing distaffs were topped by the Always B Miki sophomore filly Always B Laughin, who got second-over cover in working behind a fast half, tipped wide at the head of the stretch, and then just powered away to take a new mark of 1:51.4.

Andy Miller drove the successful three-year-old for trainer/wife Julie Miller and owner George Green.

ALWAYS BE LAUGHIN REPLAY

The He’s Watching gelding Comanche Creek, following a circuitous path to Harrah’s Philly that led through Kawartha Downs, Georgian Downs, and Yonkers, adjusted quickly to the local setting, taking a new mark of 1:52.1 in mastering the pacing males.

Tim Tetrick made two speed moves with the Scott DiDomenco trainee, then hustled him home in :55.4 – :27.4 for an easy victory for Triple D Stables Inc. and M G Stable Inc.

COMMANCHE CREEK REPLAY

The Johnny William mare Magic Cape went the mile of her life in one of the trotting headliners, sitting in the pocket behind the $470,000 yearling Glacier Hanover and then overhauling that one handily to lower her mark to 1:53.3.

It was the easiest of victories for driver Andrew McCarthy, trainer Noel Daley, and owner Sonja Booth. (We were not familiar with the sire Johnny William, but we have an education now: he is by Andover Hall – Solveig, making him a three-quarter brother to champion mare Shake It Cerry, and he has done well with limited crops in Ontario.)

MAGIC CAPE REPLAY

In the other trotting feature, the Explosive Matter gelding Gingertree Stakias made his second start of the year a winning one, lowering his mark over three seconds with a 1:57 victory.

Gingertree Stakias was sitting second when pacesetter World On Fire made a break on the far turn, with the winner inheriting the lead then holding off Givem The Goo by 1¼ lengths for driver Andrew McCarthy and trainer/owner Jim Groff.

GINGERTREE STAKIAS REPLAY

Andrew McCarthy and David Miller each had three winners on the afternoon’s program.

Thursday’s feature at Philly will be a $16,200 handicap trotting event with half-million-dollar earner Mississippi Storm starting from the outside in the field of seven. On Friday, the riverside oval will host two-year-old trotting fillies in their second preliminaries in the state-sired program, with two divisions of Sire Stakes and five divisions at Stallion Series. Both cards start at 12:25 p.m.; program pages will be available here.

For full race results, click here.

From the PHHA/Harrah’s Philadelphia