Upset win by son of Always B Miki

CHESTER PA – On a Sunday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia that was not kind to harness racing favorites, 11-1 shot Grand Cayman (Always B Miki) stayed in the day’s trend while winning the $16,200 featured pace on the card in 1:51.1.

GRAND CAYMAN REPLAY

Driver Jason Thompson got the altered son of Always B Miki away sharply, then yielded to Lyons Steel before the :26.4 quarter. Favored Whitecookie moved outside in front of the stands to challenge, but he got the cold shoulder from the pacesetter from before the :55.3 half to past the 1:22.4 three-quarters, at which point he began to tire.

Thompson moved Grand Cayman two-wide at headstretch, collared Lyons Steel, then held off 26-1 shot Harambe Deo, who tried to shoot the inside; that one finished 1 1/2 lengths behind the winner and photoed out Lyons Steel for second. Crissy Crissman-Bier sent out her third winner of the day for owner Vincent Ferriero Jr.

Fastest miles of the day came in a pair of 1:50 efforts. The first occurred in the very first race of the day, with P L Ozzy (Sunshine Beach) and Montrell Teague following the cover of favored Covered Bridge, then reeling in that foe by a neck in 1:50. P L Ozzy, a son of Sunshine Beach, won his second straight for trainer Dylan Davis, co-owner with Michael Casalino Jr.

P L OZZY REPLAY

The American Ideal gelding Town Gossip was one of the few favorites all day to make the chalkplayers happy, brushing to the lead under the wire the first time and then drawing away in his 1:50 mile, 4½ lengths clear of Rau Ru. Joe Bongiorno, who topped the drivers colony today with four sulky successes, drove the winner of $467,819 for trainer/sister Jennifer and owner Robert Weinstein.

Harrah’s next racing action will be on Wednesday at 12:25 p.m., with “free money” an attractive feature: there will be a $5081.49 carryover for the Pick-5 wager on races five through nine and also a $3678.25 carryover into the Pick-4 bet on the first four races on the card. Program pages will be available by clicking here.

For complete race results, click here.

From the PHHA/Harrah’s Philadelphia