from the PHHA /Harrah’s Philadelphia

Chester, PA — Driver George Brennan, coming to Harrah’s Philadelphia for a single drive on Wednesday afternoon (May 30), certainly picked the right horse for whom to make the journey, guiding the American Ideal mare Touchmatic to a new mark of 1:50, lowering her old standard by three full seconds, in taking the $17,000 featured pace for distaffs.

Brennan moved Touchmatic out from fourth just past the half, and got the fast mare in gear quickly, pacing her personal third quarter in :26 to clear just past the three-quarter pole and drawing off to a four length score. Kaitlyn N, undefeated in three prior North American starts, was shuffled when the lead changed hands and had to back out and then go wide, getting second ahead of favored Dr J’s Kiss, who couldn’t keep up with the brushing winner.

Touchmatic doesn’t seem to mind going the raw journey; in the four wins she’s posted in her last eight starts, all have come via the grinding route. Nik Drennan trains the winner of $160,097 for the partnership of Joseph Davino, Patrick O’Brien, Brad Shackman, and the Drennan Stable.

There were two $16,000 co-features on the card, and in the pacing sub-feature another fast time was put up by the Bettor’s Delight gelding Fullback, who went gate-to-wire and lowered his mark by 2-2/5 seconds to 1:50.1. Tim Tetrick was in the sulky behind the winner of $128,675 for trainer Shaun Vallee, also co-owner with Alroy Chow and Stanley Sclar.

In the co-feature for trotters, Sortie likely didn’t mind dropping out of the Graduate Series, as the son of Explosive Matter posted a 1:55 victory while running his earnings to $206,822. Co-owner Noel Daley, formerly trainer of the fast horse, hadn’t been able to break him of recent misbehavior patterns, so the horse went over to trainer Trond Smedshammer, who also drove the winner here for Daley, the Patricia Stable, John Fodera, and Joe Sbrocco.

Finishing Lines: The $30,000 Great Northeast Open Series event here on Sunday brings together eight fast-class pacers, including Heaven Rocks A, second to Filibuster Hanover in the 1:48.2 Commodore Barry Invitational here this past Sunday, and Bettor Memories, who won a Great Northeast event on the same card in 1:49.3.