from the PHHA /Harrah’s Philadelphia

Chester, PA — The only mare in the field, the 4-year-old Archangel distaff Celebrity Ruth, showed her heels to the field in the $18,000 feature on “Trottin’ Thursday” at Harrah’s Philadelphia, taking a new lifetime best of 1:53.3 on May 24.

David Miller sent Celebrity Ruth charging after the lead first-over down the backstretch, and the mare responded with a :26.4 individual back split to clear before the three-quarters and open a sizable lead on the far turn. She maintained a 1-3/4 length margin at the wire over Watkins, who escaped a shuffle and came back on.

Celebrity Ruth, unraced at two, now has a career record of 17-8-8-0 ($427,613) for trainer Trond Smedshammer and White Birch Farm.

Another 4-year-old trotter went even faster, 1:53.1, in the $17,000 co-featured event, as Top Flight Angel made a successful 2018 bow, leading every pole to tally by 3-1/4 lengths. The product of Team Orange Crush (trainer Julie Miller and husband-driver Andy) equaled the lifetime mark he set in a qualifier here for the Legendary Standardbred Farm.

On a day where favorites won the first six races (though one was a dead-heat), Izoh sent the chalk players scrambling for cover with a pocket rocket rally over pacesetter Classic Belisima in 1:54.2, the Crazed gelding’s fastest ever, while returning $104.60 for a $2 ticket. Another wife and husband team, driver Jacquie and trainer Frank Ingrassia, got the job done with Izoh, whom Jacquie co-owns with the Arden Homestead Stable, Donna Franchetti, and Thomas Doran.