by James Witherite-Rieg, track announcer, Harrah’s Chester Casino and Racetrack

Chester, PA — Tony Morgan won five of the first six races on Sunday’s (September 9) 13-race card at Harrah’s Chester Casino and Racetrack, driving Sam Beegle trainees First Rate and Liteninstrikstwice to victory in divisions of the second leg of the Riverfront Ramble Late Closing series.

First Rate ($2.10), who drew over $200,000 in show wagers in the third race, proved much the best in the first division. The 2-year-old son of Real Artist cleared to the front early, blazing an opening quarter of :26.4 before backing the pace down through splits of :56.4 and 1:25.3.

Leading by an extended length after stealing a middle half of :58.4, First Rate sprinted clear, taking his division by 3-1/2 lengths in a time of 1:53.3. Cosantach (Jim Marshall) came on to be second, with Artic Stretch (Cat Manzi) finishing third.

The second division saw Morgan and Beegle team up again, with Liteninstrikstwice ($2.60) winning in wire-to-wire fashion, holding off a closing Mjbudah Baby (Eric Goodell) through the stretch to win in 1:54.2.

The 2-year-old Western Hero gelding led the field to an opening quarter of :28.1 before backing the pace down to a half of :58.4. Feeling pressure from a pocketed Mjbudah Baby, Liteninstrikstwice paced to the three-quarters in 1:26, going a hurried :27.1 third quarter before holding off Mjbudah Baby by 1-1/4 lengths at the line. Ted Or Alive (Mark Gingrich) earned show honors.

Morgan also led All Over The Place ($5.20) to victory in the Open Handicap Pace, closing from dead last to win by a length.

Gold Dust Beach (Daniel Dube) took his ordinary place as pace setter, cutting fractions of :26, :54.3, and 1:21.3. Buried on the cones going into the far turn, Morgan had to wait until the head of the stretch to move All Over The Place to the extreme outside, turning in a final quarter of :27.1 en route to the victory for trainer Josh Green.

As an interesting side note, racing analyst Shannon DiAntonio is wasting no time making a name for herself, selecting an astonishing 11 winners on the 13-race Sunday program.

Live racing returns to Harrah’s Chester on Monday afternoon, September 10, with the first of 13 races to go off at 12:45 p.m. (EDT).