Scirocco Rob doubles up in Philly feature

CHESTER PA – For the second straight week Scirocco Rob (Explosive Matter) had to try to overcome the rough “tuck-then-first-over” trip in the $22,500 handicap trotting harness racing feature at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Thursday afternoon (June 16), and for the second straight week he got the job done despite the grueling journey, stopping the timer in 1:54.1.

David Miller got the winning gelding away fourth as Yanks Dugout and Swingforthefences argued through a blazing :26.4 opener before assuming those spots in that order. Yanks Dugout got a rest to the half in :57.1, and it was Yanks Dugout who was in the sights of the grinding Scirocco Rob through and past a 1:25 three-quarters. The winner of $669,896 outtrotted the very game pacesetter to win by three-quarters of a length for trainer Mark Silva and owner Kathleen Whitaker while taking his third success in his last four outings.

SCIROCCO ROB REPLAY

In the $15,300 co-featured trot for up-and-co ming horses, Infinity Stone (Il Sogno Dream) bottomed his field out with hot fractions of :27, :55.1, and 1:23.1, keeping rolling to the wire in control of the opposition in 1:53.1. The gelding has now won five of his last six starts for trainer Per Engblom and driver Yannick Gingras, the latter co-owner with Frank Canzone.

INFINITY STONE REPLAY

Greg Peck, always to be linked with the great racehorse and sire Muscle Hill, scored his first driving victory since August 1, 2019 on the card. The winning horse was, appropriately, a son of Muscle Hill, Highgate, with the three-year-old colt stepping home in :28.1 to take a mark of 1:58.1 for Peck, who is also his trainer and owner and who drives only on rare occasion these days.

HIGHGATE / GREG PECK REPLAY

A pair of Hall of Famers dominated the day’s driving action: the track’s leading driver, Tim Tetrick, had five wins, while David Miller, fourth in the Philly standings, visited Victory Lane four times.

The remainder of the racing week at Harrah’s Philadelphia consists of a Friday card starting at 12:25 and a Sunday program beginning at 12:40. Program pages are or will be available at https://www.phha.org/harrahspps.html.

For complete race results, click here.

From the PHHA/Harrah’s Philadelphia