Sharp three-year-olds on display at Philly

CHESTER PA – Sharp younger harness racing horses on an upward career trajectory raced for $13,500 in the Thursday afternoon features at Harrah’s Philadelphia, one group on the pace and one group on the trot.

The Stay Hungry three-year-old gelding Tyson Hanover made an impressive invasion of Philly while pacing to a lifetime best of 1:50.3. Trainer-driver Rick Still sent the sophomore right to command early and set all the pace, with “Tyson” able to withstand a late push by favored Cupid Shuffle to prevail by a neck for owners Midsize Construction Inc. Tyson Hanover started 2024 with nine straight wins before being beaten in his last two, but he rebounded spectacularly here (it was a good day for Delmarva horses with records containing winning streaks, as we’ll see again below).

TYSON HANOVER REPLAY

The diagonally-gaited feature saw the favorites finish 1-2, as crowd choice Crown Monarch, a Father Patrick sophomore colt, brushed to the lead before the three-quarters and then easily held off National Love AS from just behind him while stopping the timer in 1:54.3. Rikard Skoglund had the drive for trainer Per Engblom (one of his three winners on the day) and the ownership of Engblom Stable LLC, Amos Leon Lengacher, and Tomas Andersson.

CROWN MONARCH REPLAY

There were three $12,000 co-featured events on the card, for horses a level lower than the spotlight performers. Two were on the trot, the other on the pace.

The lone pace went to Dandy Ideal (American Ideal – OK Heavenly), who in his last start tied the Pocono track record for two-year-old pacing geldings with a 1:50.3 mile, and here went only a tick slower while winning well in hand. The gelding was reserved in third by driver David Miller until late in the backstretch, then attacked the pacesetting Ishotthesheriff GB and paced away in the stretch easily. Dandy Ideal is a youngster to be watched for trainer Jenny Melander and Exceed Stables LLC.

In one of the two trots, the Yall Beneath Me three-year-old filly Only I Exist, in her first purse race outside Maryland, made the lead past the quarter for driver Russell Foster and held together to record her fourteenth straight win over her two years of racing while lowering her mark to 1:56.1. The queen of the state to Philly’s southwest, who made a break in her bow and hasn’t stopped winning since, did not have an easy task, though, as a rival came up on her to each side late, but she preserved a half length margin over Wall Street Edge and Highly Motivated, who dead-heated for second. Only I Exist has now amassed $287,006 for trainer-owner Richard Hans of Googoo Gaagaa fame.

The other trot co-feature saw the Bar Hopping sophomore miss Bar Town move up on the uncovered grind from shortly past the half and keep on coming, just catching pacesetting favorite Koriander Sisu S by a neck while lowering her mark to 1:56.2. Corey Callahan guided the winner, now successful in four of her last five starts, for trainer John Butenschoen and Bay Pond Racing Stable.

Hall Of Fame driver David Miller, like trainer Eriksson, had three wins on the day, and he is now tied for third in the Philly win standings with Simon Allard at an even 100. The 1-2 horsemen, Tim Tetrick (141 wins, .369 UDR) and George Napolitano Jr. (136 wins, . 363 UDR) may be pressured in the latter battle by Miller, who has a lofty .358 batting average at the riverside oval.

A pair of $14,000 events for the best fast-class horses on each gait at Philly will headline Friday’s 12:25 card at Philly. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

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

From the PHHA / Harrah’s Philadelphia