Chester, PA — A pair of $16,000 trotting features at Harrah’s Philadelphia Friday afternoon (Sept. 13) saw the winners, Boxing Gloves and Smooth Acceleration, use front-end tactics to produce successful efforts.

In the first, driver Marcus Miller got the Muscle Hill ridgling Boxing Gloves to the lead in :28.4, then got little resistance to his authority, resting to the :59 half and still only having to go to the three-quarters in 1:28 as the first-over favorite Miss You Kelly could make little impression. Boxing Gloves was thus left to sprint home in :28.2 to complete a 1:56.2 package, He finished 1/14  lengths ahead of pocket-sitting Choco Charlie for trainer Erv Miller and owner Silver Linden Farms.

While Smooth Acceleration’s victory also came from a pace-setting strategy, the course of the race was very different.

Tony Morgan moved from third with the favored Swan For All sophomore gelding passing the :28.1 quarter, and as soon as he reached the top he came under pressure from Trixar, who had followed his move outside. Middle fractions of :56.4 and 1:25.3 resulted.

Smooth Acceleration, however, stood tall when put to the test. He finished 4-1/4 lengths ahead of Trixar while taking a lifetime best of 1:54.2 for trainer Jenny Melander and the ownership of Melander Racing Inc. and Clark Stables LLC.