Top-notch undercard at Harrah’s Philly

Besides the three big Invitational races, Harrah’s Philadelphia also had Super Sunday harness racing features of two $68,116 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes for three-year-old pacing fillies plus five $20,000 Stallion Series divisions, plus three $30,000 “#senditin” Opens, named after the popular social media handicapping/betting forum.

PENNSYLVANIA SIRE STAKES – 3YO PACING FILLIES

Treacherous Dragon (Captaintreacherous) continued her hot start to the season by winning Sunday’s first of two $68,116 divisions of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes for 3-year-old female pacers at Harrah’s Philadelphia while Boudoir Hanover captured the second split, which saw returning Dan Patch Award-winner Niki Hill go off stride on the final turn.

In the first division, Queen Of Success went to the front at the start, but 2-5 favorite Treacherous Dragon and driver Tim Tetrick pushed forward and grabbed the lead in a :27 opening quarter.

Treacherous Dragon took the group to the half in :55.2, fended off a challenge from Captain Cowgirl at three-quarters, reached in 1:23.4, and rebuffed Queen Of Success in the stretch to win by 2-1/4 lengths in 1:50.4. Dont Fence Me In was third and Captain Cowgirl fourth.

TREACHEROUS DRAGON REPLAY

Trained by Brett Pelling, Treacherous Dragon improved to 3-for-3 this year. She has won seven of 13 lifetime and earned $358,920 for owner Hot Lead Farm LLC. The daughter of dam My Little Dragon was bred by White Birch Farm.

Treacherous Dragon paid $2.80 to win.

In the second division, Boudoir Hanover (Captaintreacherous) won an early skirmish with Lydeo to take the lead in a :26.2 opening quarter, followed by Yes And Yes in third and Niki Hill in fourth.

Boudoir Hanover set the fractions from there, reaching the half in :55.4 and three-quarters in 1:22.3 as Niki Hill made a three-wide move around first-over Yes And Yes. But Niki Hill, the 1-5 favorite in her seasonal debut, made a break on the turn while looking to move up from fourth.

In the stretch, Boudoir Hanover and driver Todd McCarthy remained in control, winning by 2-1/2 lengths over Lydeo in 1:50.3. Yes And Yes finished third and Lyons Serenity was fourth.

BOUDOIR HANOVER REPLAY

Boudoir Hanover was making her seasonal debut for trainer Tony Alagna and owners Riverview Racing LLC, Alagna Racing LLC, Caviart Farms, and D Plouffe and S Head. For her career, she has won three of 12 races and earned $255,892. The daughter of mare Bedroomconfessions was bred by Riverview Breeder LLC and Visionary Breeders LLC.

Sent off as the 5-1 second choice, Boudoir Hanover paid $13.20 to win.

by Ken Weingartner, for the USTA

PENNSYLVANIA STALLION SERIES – 3YO PACING FILLIES

Sire Sweet Lou produced three of the five Stallion Series winners, including two horses who paid over $50 to win. In fact, one of them, Louie The Lilac, was making her career debut, but she mustered enough late kick to split horses and defeat Miss Helen Hanover by a length for driver Corey Callahan, trainer Tom Cancelliere, and owner John Cancelliere.

The other big longshot, Sweet And Feisty, also had to come from well out of the action, but she kicked home strongly to win by 1½ lengths over odds-on chalk Sweet Treasure, pacing the fastest mile in the StS (1:50.4) and paying $60.60. David Miller drove the winner, who lowered her mark 4 2/5 seconds, for owner/trainer Mitchell York.

David Miller also drove the third Sweet Lou success story, Heartbreak Hotel, who like all the other Stallion Series winners took a new mark. The Nifty Norman trainee was 2¼ lengths to the good of Somesweetsomewhere at the end of a 1:52.2 mile for owners Let It Ride Stables Inc., Bottom Line Racing LLC, and Mac Nichol.

Another victorious outsider was the Betting Line filly Bet On The Bay, a 14-1 proposition who was setting in the pocket behind favored Sweet Rock Deo when that one lost gait on the far turn, giving driver Mike Wilder a clear path to a 3¾ length victory in 1:51.3. Dane Snyder trains the winner for Linwood Higgins, Danielle Snyder, Kristine Kash, and Jason Ash LLC.

The other Stallion Series winner was the Captaintreacherous miss Madeira Hanover, who was a pocket rocket while catching Southwind Java by a neck in 1:51.3. Todd McCarthy was in the sulky for trainer Linda Toscano and the partnership of South Mountain Stables, Little E LLC, Mark Mullen, and JAF Racing LLC.

$30,000 “#senditin” OPEN PACES

Let It Ride N (Rock N Roll Heaven) was monstrous in winning the #sendtitin Open pace in 1:48.4, just 2/5 off a second off the track record for older gelding pacers, set 15 years ago by Fake Denario N.

Backstreet Shadow went on to command past a :26.1 quarter, got to the half in :54.1, then had Let It Ride N grind up at him relentlessly to and past  the 1:21.2 three-quarters under the guidance of Dexter Dunn. Despite the uncovered route from fifth, Let It Ride N drew off in the stretch and withstood the horse on his back, American Courage, by 1¾ lengths while stepping his own back half in :53.2.

The victorious gelding has won half of his fourteen seasonal starts and has bankrolled $597,234 in his career. Nifty Norman trains the iron-tough pacer for William Hartt and Enzed Racing Stable Inc.

No Win No Feed A (A Rocknroll Dance) became only the third horse to win from fourth-over at Philly this year in winning the #senditin for pacing mares. Scott Zeron had the mare charging through the lane to be along in 1:50.3 after a fast clip of :26.1, :54.3, and 1:21.4, defeating Mcmarkle Sparkle by a half-length to raise her earnings to $377,120 for trainer Erv Miller and owner Douglas Overhiser.

Yanks Dugout (Triumphant Caviar), parked past a :26.4 quarter, continued on the front end and maintained his lead to the wire in 1:54 while taking the #sendtin Trot. Yannick Gingras guided the gelding to a 1 1/4 length victory over No Mas Drama, who came from seventh to be second to the Ron Burke trainee, a winner of $302,998 who is owned by Ivan and John Duke Sugg.

For complete race results, click here.

From the PHHA/Harrah’s Philadelphia