Chester, PA – Luckylady Hanover made her own luck on the front end in the $13,500 distaff pacing feature on Friday (Oct. 16) afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia, shaking off persistent pressure and going on to set a lifetime mark in 1:51.1.
Simon Allard and the Captaintreacherous sophomore filly Luckylady Hanover went out to the lead and reached the quarter in :27.3; they were soon joined by American Story, who left but found no hole and pressed on towards the front. Luckylady Hanover gave her the cold shoulder to and beyond a :56 half, but no sooner did that outside challenger fall back than favored Can’t See Me very much entered the picture, although she couldn’t reach the leader as “Luckylady” blitzed down the back in :26.4 to hit the three quarters in 1:22.4.
Can’t See Me gained in the final stanza but still came up 1-1/4 lengths shy to the victorious Stacy Chiodo trainee, who is owned by Timothy Tobias Stable LLC.
In a $13,000 pace for established females, the 3-year-old Car Keys defeated older foes as she won her sixth straight race while competing over the Philly oval, on Friday in 1:51.4. Patrick Ryder also went to the front with the winning Always B Miki filly, and the pair put up splits of :26.3, :56, and 1:23.4. Maggie Q N was coming at the winner late, but Car Keys remained a neck to the good and did not look all-out. In all starts, Car Keys has now won five of her last six trips behind the gate for trainer Chris Ryder and owners Margaret Dey and Anthony Stolte.
Eight-time top Philly driver George Napolitano Jr. led all sulkysitters with four victories on the day; Simon Allard and Patrick Ryder paraded back winners twice. Napolitano drove both winners for the only doubling trainer, Dean Eckley, who now has tied Joe Bongiorno for the meet lead in training wins.
Sunday (Oct. 18) will find Philly present a 12:40 “Pink Out” card, with two fields of horses handled by female drivers in support of breast cancer research and curative procedures. Top purse on the day will be $14,000 offered in race five to developing male pacers. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.