Chester, Pa – On a Wednesday afternoon when the Harrah’s Philadelphia oval was favoring forwardly-placed horses, driver Tim Tetrick sent the pacing mare Affluent Seelster to the lead in front of the stands, then held off the inside drive of the horse they had looped early, Take Abit Of Life, by a head to post a new mark of 1:53 while winning the $12,800 feature.

The daughter of Mach Three now has three victories in only five seasonal outings, and she increased her lifetime earnings to $61,849 for trainer Paul Stafford and the partnership of Stafford Racing Inc. and Thomas Ceraso Jr.

Setting the pace or sitting in the pocket accounted for 12 of the 14 victorious paths at Philly on Wednesday; one who won via the second tactic was the Woodstock pacing mare Bye Bye Felicia, who posted a 1:51.1 score in the $11,600 top event for the more seasoned set. In contrast to her last start, which she triumphed by a nose at Pocono, Bye Bye Felicia left her competition by over a six lengths winning for driver Joe Bongiorno and trainer/sister Jennifer Bongiorno, and owner Rick Howles. The winner has now amassed a career bankroll of $359,604.

Sail By, who took a mark of 1:50.4 at Lexington in her freshman campaign, made her first start as a sophomore a winning one in 1:51.2. The pocket theme held in this event as well. Sail By worked her way to command past Tuapeka Jessie N past the quarter, then withstood that one’s outside bid through the lane by a half-length. The winning daughter of Captaintreacherous won for driver Andrew McCarthy, trainer Tony Alagna, and Brittany Farms LLC.