Chester, PA — Storm Is Raging worked out a cover trip to take Thursday’s (Oct. 13) $22,500 featured handicap trot — a competitive event that saw the first five finishers separated by only a length — at a rainy Harrah’s Philadelphia.

Double Account cleared Crystal Fashion in a :27 opener, then yielded to favored Gangster Hanover only to retake and get some rest to a :57.1 half. Hayek, a winner of three straight including a win in this class in his last start, took the uncovered route, with the Explosive Matter gelding Storm Is Raging following him from well before the 1:25.1 three-quarters.

Double Account still had the lead turning for home, with Gangster Hanover trying to gain inside. Hayek continued on his determined grind, Storm Is Raging tipped wide for the drive, and Crystal Fashion backed out behind the winner and went widest to the wire. Any of the five looked to have a chance to win, with Storm Is Raging earning the 1:53.4 decision by a half length over Crystal Fashion; Hayek was another neck back of them in third.

Storm Is Raging now has 16 wins in 42 starts lifetime. Carl Cocciolone, Mark Sosovicha and Jack Piatt III own the talented trotter, who had the red-hot teaming of driver Simon Allard and trainer Ron Burke behind him.

Unraced at two, the Father Patrick sophomore gelding Emerald’s Legacy is now seven-for-11 in his career after a 1:54.2 victory in a $15,300 co-feature over a track that had turned “sloppy” a couple of races earlier. Emerald’s Legacy sat in the pocket behind Saverio Hanover through fractions of :27.4, :57.1, and 1:25.3, then rallied in the passing lane to record a half-length victory for driver Tim Tetrick, trainer Scott Betts, and the ownership of Timothy Betts, Nicholas Catalano, Keith Pippi and Shanamphilankilou Inc.

Allard continued his recent torrid streak with a driving grand slam on Thursday, giving him 26 winners in the last seven cards at Philly.

Fast-class pacers will be the headliners on the Friday (Oct. 14) card starting at 12:25 p.m., and then on Sunday (Oct. 16) at 12:40 p.m., freshman pacing colts will kick off two weeks of the John Simpson Sr. stakes series. Program pages are available on the PHHA website.