Solid Character dukes it out for record win

CHESTER, PA – The Sweet Lou three-year-old gelding Solid Character overcame the outermost post and two stubborn harness racing rivals in the stretch to take Philly’s $13,500 featured pace Wednesday (July 31) at Harrah’s Philadelphia in a lifetime best 1:50.2.

Despite the tough draw Solid Character had a solid lead before the :26.2 first quarter for driver Simon Allard, then put up midsplits of :55.2 and 1:22. Captain Caveman, in his first start since May 18, stayed close in the pocket then moved out in the stretch, while Goliath Hanover gapped third-in during the fast third panel then charged on steadily up the inside.

But both missed by three-quarters of a length, with Captain Caveman photoing out Goliath Hanover behind the winner, who is trained by Ron Burke for Burke Racing Stable LLC, Robert Jackson, Timothy Sullivan, and Tom Wilson.

Solid Character was the eighth of eight straight winning favorites in races three through ten; the chalk missed out in the Early Double and the last four contests.

SOLID CHARACTER REPLAY

Ifthasritthatsrong (Stag Party) is hard to spell and hard to catch, showing the latter trait for the second time in as many local starts with a 1:51.3 victory in the $12,000 co-featured pace. Impressive in a 1:49.4 win on his local debut, the winning gelding had to circle first turn trouble to get the lead, then remained in control, sprinting home in :54.3 to stop the timer in 1:51.3. Simon Allard was again the winning driver, for trainer Robert Belcher and owner Todd Rosenberg.

IFTHASRITTHATSRONG REPLAY

Allard and Marcus Miller each notched three triumphs on the Wednesday card at Philly.

Thursday has Philly’s usual strong “Trottin’ Thursday” card, highlighting top local horses on the diamond gait, with the $2M+ winner Crystal Fashion the favorite in the $13,000 feature as he seeks his fourth straight. … Harrah’s Philadelphia now returns to a basic schedule of racing on Thursday and Friday at 12:25 and Sunday at 12:40. … Free Philly programs are or will be available at www.phha.org.

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

From the PHHA / Harrah’s Philadelphia