Chester, PA — Diagonally-gaited horses took over the headlines on Thursday (May 28) at Harrah’s Philadelphia during the first card since the riverside oval’s Super Sunday extravaganza.
The feature, a $16,000 fast-class handicap, was won by the Creatine gelding Asteroid, but the favorite did not have it easy in the 1:53.2 victory as he was three-wide for much of a :27.4 quarter before making the top for driver Tim Tetrick. The winner of $552,368 posted a pair of moderate :28.2 fractions in the middle (:56.1, 1:24.3), with second choice Ultion Face S battling the leader first-over from midway up the backstretch through early in the stretch.
With that rival taken care of, Asteroid then braced for a late bid from Dribbling Bi, the horse who had been just inside him during the early three-way tussle, but that one’s late charge fell three-quarters of a length short. Enrico Robinson trains the determined trotter for Pollack Racing LLC.
A race earlier, the oft-winning Shoresy captured the $13,000 sub-feature for the fast-class set in a new mark of 1:53. The victorious son of Cantab Hall, now a winner’s circle visitor eight times this year, was on the move off the first turn, gained command, and then held it to the wire while not threatened for driver Andy McCarthy, trainer Per Engblom, and the partnership of Timothy Betts and Shanamphilankilou Inc.
Trainer Scott DiDomenico sent out both winners in the top trots for the developing set. First, in the $14,000 event for this classification, was the Trixton gelding B Mo, who sat a pocket trip behind favored R Lady W and then rallied to a 1:54.3 triumph, a half length to the good of the chalk for driver Johnathan Ahle and owner Ben Robards.
In the very next race, a $13,500 contest, the Captain Corey sophomore gelding Jim Beam traveled the first-over route and still showed a :27.3 late kick to win in the clear for Tetrick and owner Allen Wenc.
Meet-leader Tetrick guided three winners to add to his margin at the top of the sulky column; Ahle and Anibal Borjas drove two winners each. DiDomenico had the only training two-bagger.
Friday’s (May 290) Philly action will see the spotlight given over to the distaff pacing set, with a $14,000 contest for up-and-coming performers the feature attraction. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.