Chester, PA — The great rate of early-speed success in the opening days of the 2019 Harrah’s Philadelphia season continued in the $14,500 featured trot on Thursday (April 4), as the Lionhunter mare Black Mamba AS made every pole a winning one in a 1:54 mile.

The winner of $241,060 and the 9-5 second choice worked to the front in a :27.1 opener, then got a breather to the half in :57.1. The 6-5 favorite Zlatan had to take up uncovered duties and commenced to grind raw against the pacesetter, who reached the three-quarters in 1:24.3. Down the lane the pesky Zlatan would not go away, but Black Mamba AS had enough to hold off that foe by a length for trainer Anette Lorentzon and ACL Stuteri AB.

Black Mambo AS came to Philadelphia after racing at Dover Downs. Her driver in the feature, Tim Tetrick, took the opposite trip, posting a 5-2-2-1 scoreboard here before leaving for a twilight card down south where he had five morning line favorites, including the chalk in a $100,000 Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund final.

Many of the Harrah’s faithful held their breath when 2-5 favorite Wildfire Seelster sat in third in the $14,000 co-featured trot, but driver Simon Allard found an inside clear path in the stretch and rallied the sophomore filly by Explosive Matter to catch pace-setting Andovers Asset by a nose in 1:59.

Owner/trainer Austin Brubacker honed his stock well in anticipation of the Eastern Pennsylvania racing season, as he has a high percentage both here and at Pocono the last few weeks.