Chester, PA — After heat and then thunderstorms all but shut down the last two Thursday programs at Harrah’s Philadelphia, the conditions this Thursday (July 16), while still hot, allowed for the races to go on, with some excellent performances highlighting the day.
The Sebastian K S gelding Benjamin Hanover had to settle for second behind Ari Ferrari J in the last two $16,000 fast-class handicap trots at the riverside oval, but on Thursday he parlayed a pocket trip into a 1:52 victory for his 34th victory in 71 career starts. Ari Ferrari J, handicapped outside in the seven-horse field, worked to wrest command from Benjamin Hanover to a :27.2 quarter. After middle splits of :56.3 and 1:24.2, Benjamin Hanover was right-lined by Philly’s top driver, Tim Tetrick, on the far turn and vaulted to a 1-1/4-length victory for trainer Scott DiDomenico and owner Angela Cornell.
Goo For Broke, a Googoo Gaagaa mare who had been producing good closing rallies, switched things up in the $13,000 fast-class co-feature, going away quickly to get the lead, yielding to favored Kierkegaard K, then utilizing the open stretch to defeat the chalk in 1:53 by a half length, with first-over Arrowhead Hanover just another neck back. Andrew McCarthy guided the winner for trainer Per Engblom and owner Timothy Betts.
Southwind Alamo had had open-length wins in his 2026 overnight races – otherwise he had been facing such stars as Apex, Diabolic Hill and American Power and was not out of place. Leaving that powerful crowd behind for a spot in a $14,000 trot for developing horses, Southwind Alamo sat behind fractions of :27.2 and :55.3, steamed up uncovered before the 1:23.4 three-quarters, then called his own margin late in a 1:52 victory, coming home in :55 for a new mark and missing by a fifth of a second the 2023 divisional track record effort of French Wine. Johnathan Ahle handled the powerhouse son of Tactical Landing for trainer Ron Coyne Jr. and the partnership of Coyne & Pachuta Stable, Blair Corbeil, Richard Carney and Mike McAllister.
Virtually all of the connections of Southwind Alamo are also the brain trust behind the filly Abbey Blue Chip, who was the odds-on pacesetter in the $13,500 sub-feature for up-and-comers. But being a grinch and spoiling that double was the gelding Cindy Loo Goo, who pounced from the pocket and lowered his mark to 1:53.1 with a 1-1/4-length triumph over the crowd’s choice for driver McCarthy, trainer Engblom, and owners Betts and Shanamphilankilou Inc.
The team of McCarthy and Engblom took the horsepersons’ crowns for the day. McCarthy drove five winners — three came from the Engblom barn, and the other two were for trainer Nicklas Andersen. Tim Tetrick had three victories, and meet leader teamed with meet leader as Tetrick got home one of Joe Bongiorno’s two training victories. Simon Allard also had a driving double.
Friday’s (July 17) feature at Harrah’s Philadelphia is for fillies and mares, topped by a $13,000 fast-class event for pacing distaffs. Free program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.