by Jerry Connors, for the PA Harness Racing Commission

Chester, PA — Top free-for-allers invade the Delaware Valley this Sunday afternoon (May 26) at Harrah’s Philadelphia, with the sixth edition of both the Betsy Ross Mare Pace and the Maxie Lee Open Trot, both events offering bounties of $250,000.

Betsy Ross, a Philadelphian, is, of course, regarded as one of the “early mothers of the United States” for making an American flag for General George Washington (although much of that story may be an urban myth); Maxie Lee, one of the first and one of the most successful African-American trainers, can certainly be cited as an educational “father” to many horsemen of that area, including Richard Gutnick, who learned his horsecaring skills with Lee, and then went on to confirm another set of horsemanship skills when his Chapter Seven won the race named in honor of his friend last year.

Chapter Seven is of course not back to defend his Lee title, but the Kiwi pacing mare Royal Cee Cee N is on Sunday. The daughter of Christian Cullen, owned and trained by Mark Harder, sat last through three-quarters of the mile last year in the Besty Ross behind the runaway 1:20 speed of Put On A Show, but gradually reeled the field in during the last quarter to score at 9-1 odds. Ron Pierce, who gave Royal Cee Cee N the necessary patient drive last year, will again try to help her overcome her second straight Betsy Ross eight-post draw (though she benefitted from one scratch last year).

Anndrovette, defending Pacing Mare of the Year, did overcome the eight-hole in a sharp prep for the Betsy Ross at Philadelphia recently, and draws post five for driver Tim Tetrick and trainer P.J. Fraley.

Also sure to draw much attention are Feeling You, the Blue Chip Matchmaker winner (post seven, driver Tyler Butler) and Economy Terror (post one, Matt Kakaley); these two finished in that order in a very close contest last Sunday night at Pocono.

Speaking of tight photos, three of the four horses involved in the blanket finish of the Cutler final at the Meadowlands last Saturday ship down to Harrah’s to contest the Maxie Lee Trot. Sevruga, with usual speed tactics, won that race for the “Orange Crush” Miller-Miller team and draws post seven, but he should be used to that sort of thing by now, having been from post six outward in his last nine starts, dating back to March 1.

Wishing Stone, a nose back as a dead-heat second last week, will make his presence felt from post five for the dynamite Gingras/Burke combination, while the other major Cutler shipper, Modern Family (fourth by a nose last week), must try to solve post eight for trainer Daryl Bier and and driver Tim Tetrick.

The fourth member of the photogenic Cutler quartet, Guccio, will not go to Chester, but he’ll have a more-than-adequate “replacement” representing the Jimmy Takter barn in Uncle Peter, beginning from post two for driver David Miller.

First of the 14 races on Sunday at Harrah’s is 12:40 p.m.; the Betsy Ross is race 10, while the Maxie Lee is in the 12 slot.

Finishing Lines: Driver Tim Tetrick has won either the Maxie Lee or the Betsy Ross in each of their five years of Chester existence, but never both in the same year: Buck I St Pat in 2008 and 2010, and Chapter Seven last year (in a stakes record 1:52.1) in the Lee, and Southwind Tempo (2009, still-world record 1:48.3) and Anndrovette (2011) in the Ross.