Chester, PA — After finishing second to world record holder Bulldog Hanover in two of his first three 2022 starts, Allywag Hanover relished some class relief Sunday afternoon (July 17) at Harrah’s Philadelphia, taking the $22,500 handicap pacing feature in 1:49.2.

Todd McCarthy, who led all drivers with four wins on the day, sent last year’s older pacing champion to the lead from the outside in the field of six and reached that spot before the :26.4 first clocking before controlling mid-race fractions of :55.2 and 1:22.3. Fellow millionaire Southwind Ozzi came out of the pocket on the far turn to gain some, but McCarthy sat chilly in the bike as Allywag Hanover came home in :26.4 to a deceptively easy victory, with the game Southwind Ozzi three-quarters of a length back. The Captaintreacherous gelding, who has earned $1,253,530 in his career, recorded his first win of the season for trainer Brett Pelling and the Allywag Stable.

In the co-featured $15,300 event, Virgo commenced an uncovered bid from third past the five-eighths after Pat McGarry A had put up early fractions of :26.2 and :55.1, and kept gaining into a :26.3 third quarter. Corey Callahan guided the altered son of Always A Virgin to the lead in the stretch, then held off strong closer Southwind Sandor by a neck in 1:49.3. Trainer Dylan Davis co-owns the winner of $377,872 with Howard Taylor.

Two-year-old colts in the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes and Stallion Series will be the featured performers at the beginning of this coming week: pacers on Wednesday (July 20) and trotters on Thursday (July 21). Program pages will be available on the PHHA website.