Let It Ride Stable has big day with babies

CHESTER., PA – With two-year-olds already in pari-mutuel harness racing competition, and with Pennsylvania stakes season for the freshmen opening next week at the fairs and the following week at the betting tracks, today’s (June 21) host of qualifiers for babies at Harrah’s Philadelphia may be the last concentrated presentation of many morning sessions for the newcomers.

Here are the highlights divided by gait and sex:

TWO-YEAR-OLD PACING FILLIES: The team of driver Dexter Dunn and trainer Chris Ryder swept all three of the divisions for this group. Fastest was the Sweet Lou – So In Love miss Love You Do, who came first-over to catch Team Colors by a nose in 1:57 — :57 — :27.4 for Let It Ride Stables Inc. and Bottom Line Racing LLC; the same brain trust saw their Sweet Lou – Drop The Ball filly Butterfingers win her second straight baby qualifier in 1:57.3 — :56.3 — :27.4.

TWO-YEAR-OLD PACING COLTS: Dexter Dunn was also the driver of the faster winner in this section, Nolaughingstock, a colt by Heston Blue Chip – Laughandbehappy, who frontended his field in 1:56.2 — :56.3 — :27.3 for trainer Michael Hall, co-owner with Let It Ride Stables Inc., who obviously had a big day.

TWO-YEAR-OLD TROTTING FILLIES – The Donato Hanover – Motivational miss Portulaca may decide to stay and bloom in PA – she won a baby event here, broke in a race at Magical Acres, then came back to Philly and took her second win, a wire-to-wire tally in 1:59 — :57.4 — :28.2 for driver David Miller and trainer Kathleen La Montagne, also owner with Donald La Montagne.

TWO-YEAR-OLD TROTTING COLTS – The only division for baby trotting colts was won by the Father Patrick – Sherrys Lady colt Once In A Lifetime, who rallied from the pocket to win in 2:02.2 — :58.4 — :29.2 for driver Tim Tetrick, trainer Jim Campbell, and owners Sherry and Emily Forlan while taking his second straight trip to the gate.

Replays of the baby qualifiers can be found at the PHHA website, www.phha.org.

For complete qualifier results, click here.

From the PHHA/Harrah’s Philadelphia