Chester, PA – The Muscle Hill gelding Diplomacy, a $425,000 yearling who in his last seven starts showed two wins – but three breaks – evened that tally in his record now going eight starts back, taking the $13,500 featured trot at Harrah’s Philadelphia Friday afternoon (Oct. 17).
Diplomacy, whose dam That’s All Moni was a $500,000+ winner and is a sister to champion Snow White, settled midpack early as favored Manoah put second choice Greenspan in behind him in a :28 quarter. Manoah got to the half in :57.2, then picked up the pace when driver Niko Karna gave Diplomacy the word to go up raw, and they reached the three-quarters in 1:26.
In the stretch, Dipolmacy, at 8-1, proved to be the strongest horse, winning by two lengths over the favorite for trainer Noel Daley and the ownership of Allister Stables LLC, L A Express & Sjoblom Inc., Frank Canzone, and Michael Dolan.
There was a pair of $13,000 fast-class events for established quality horses. One was for pacing distaffs, and it was taken with a big effort by the Always B Miki mare Miki In Luv, who had to go first-over against pacesetting Elegant A but still bested that one by 1-1/4 lengths in a 1:51.1 mile. The winner of three of her last four starts was driven by Ridge Warren for trainer Ron Coyne Jr. and the ownership of Ron Coyne Stables Inc., Blair Corbeil, and Richard and Farrell Carney.
The other sub-feature, a trot, saw the 3-year-old Greenshoe gelding Lefties Righties manhandle older rivals, going right to the lead and never being threatened through a mile in 1:53.4. Also a winner of three of his last four, including his Pennsylvania Stallion Series Championship, Lefties Righties was driven by Corey Callahan for trainer Jeff Cullipher and Pollack Racing LLC.
Drivers Simon Allard, Corey Callahan, George Napolitano Jr., and Ridge Warren, along with trainer Jeff Cullipher, had a pair of successes on the card.
The racing week at Harrah’s Philadelphia ends on Sunday (Oct. 19) with a 12:40 p.m., first post; there will be a carryover into the Pick 5 wager in race five. Next week, the track returns to its basic fall schedule of Thursday and Friday at 12:25 p.m., and Sunday at 12:40 p.m., with some exceptions like the holidays and Breeders Cup weekend. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.