Chester, PA — Up-and-coming younger performers attracted the Friday (July 16) spotlight at Harrah’s Philadelphia, with three $12,600 events for the various classifications.

Literl Lad Hanover, a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes winner earlier this year, got back on the winning track with a lifetime mark of 1:50.4 going wire-to-wire against the pacing males. Driver George Napolitano Jr. put the 3-year-old Somebeachsomewhere colt quickly on the lead and hung up splits of :27.1, :55.3 and 1:22.3 while boosting his lifetime earnings to $172,611 for the meet’s leading trainer, Ron Burke, and the partnership of Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, J&T Silva-Purnel & Libby and Wingfield Five LLC.

Somebeachsomewhere sophomores swept the pacing features, as Viva La Deo surrendered early command to Captainandtelly just past a :27.1 initial split, waited behind her through middle fractions of :56.1, and 1:23.4, then paced by to lower her mark to 1:52.2 in the distaff division. Todd McCarthy guided the filly to victory in the headliner for distaffs for trainer Luc Blais and owner Determination.

Boom City entered the trotting feature with a 1-for-39 record, but in his second start for trainer Joe Karrat, the Explosive Matter gelding was ready to make some noise, lowering his mark 5-4/5 seconds to 1:55.2. George Napolitano Jr. positioned the Joseph Riad-owned winner behind heavy favorite College Tuition as that one rang up splits of :27.4, :58 and 1:26.4, and the elusive winner’s circle was well within the power of Boom City today as he powered right on by.

Temptation Eyes broke her maiden in a spectacular way by catching pacesetter Fasterthanarumor in 1:55.3 and returning $101.00 to win for driver Mike Cole, trainer Eli Scott Jr., and Chesapeake Equine Clinic Inc.

On Sunday (July 18), Harrah’s Philadelphia hosts the second round of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes and Stallion Series for 2-year-old pacing colts and geldings. Post time is 12:40 p.m.; program pages are available at the PHHA website.