by Jack Chevalier, for Harrah’s Chester

Chester, PA — The $225,000 Colonial Trot returned to the Delaware Valley after a 19-year absence on Sunday, August 12, and the biggest star in the winner’s circle at Harrah’s Chester Casino & Racetrack was Gregory Peck of Newtown, Bucks County.

World Wide Racing Photos

Nate K set a track record for 3-year-old trotters in winning his Colonial division.

No, it wasn’t the late film legend of “To Kill a Mockingbird” fame. This was Gregory B. Peck, a third-generation trainer of harness horses, whose trotter Nate K — a 23-1 longshot — won the quickest division of the 37th Colonial in 1:55, setting a track record for 3-year-old trotters. Driver Ron Pierce used the inside passing lane to overtake Quite Easy in the final 40 yards, urging Nate K from third place to a half-length upset victory.

Peck was a hero for three reasons. He made the decision to buy Nate K from New Jersey trainer Ron Gurfein just 10 days ago; he chose Pierce as the driver; and he prepared the colt in quick time for his first career victory in seven starts.

“Nate K didn’t race as a 2-year-old,” Peck said, “and I don’t even know why. Ron Gurfein told me he was moving his stable to Kentucky for the big September races in the midwest and said this colt was available. I’ve known Ron for a long time, and he’s kind of a mentor for me, so I trust his word. The price for Nate K was too much at the time, but it’s looking a little better now.”

The son of Yankee Glide came into the Colonial Trot with an 0-for-6 record and scant earnings of $4,750. But Sunday’s upset at Harrah’s Chester Casino & Racetrack was worth $37,500 to Peck and co-owner Irving Bork of Ellington, Conn. Fans who bet on Nate K received a $49.80 win mutuel, the front half of a $182.60 exacta.

The nation’s winningest harness driver, Tim Tetrick, piloted Quite Easy to second place, and favored Hitchiker finished third with a late rally that stalled in deep stretch.

Peck is a native of Nova Scotia, where his father and grandfather trained harness horses and worked for Hall of Famers Joe O’Brien and Billy Haughton. Gregory B. Peck moved to Bucks County in 1992 after visiting the area and admiring the preserved open spaces in the countryside. Newtown is also convenient to several eastern harness tracks.

“I’m kidded about my name all the time,” Peck said. “I lived in Princeton for a while, and the movie star’s daughter went to school there. So I got some good dinner reservations whenever I called for a table.”

The Colonial Trot began in 1968 at Liberty Bell Park in Philadelphia as the first $100,000 horse race in Pennsylvania. It was captured by six Hambletonian winners, including Nevele Price and Mack Lobell. After Liberty Bell closed 19 years ago, the stakes race was moved to three out-of-state locations. Rick Kane, the history-minded racing secretary at Harrah’s Chester Casino & Racetrack, was eager to “bring the Colonial home” to the Delaware Valley this season.

Primary AS, trained by Trond Smedshammer and driven by Brian Sears, scored a wire-to-wire triumph as the even-money favorite in Sunday’s first division. The time was 1:55.1, surpassed by one-fifth of a second a few minutes later by Nate K. Primary AS set strong fractions and had enough stamina to hold off Up Front Harry and Manfinity in the stretch drive.

The third division went to The Liquidator, another 3-year-old who had never visited the winner’s circle in seven previous starts. Reinsman Dave Miller brought the 8-1 shot from third place to catch the tiring Monkey Bones in the race to the wire. The time was 1:56.3, with Bayside Volo rallying for third place. Three of the seven starters broke stride in that division.

“There are plenty of big races coming up for 3-year-old trotters before the season ends with the Breeders Crown,” said trainer Smedshammer. “Some of these Colonial colts may improve and do very well. But to say they might beat (Hambo winner) Donato Hanover, well, I think that would be a stretch.”

Jacqueline Ingrassia, longtime driver of successful trotters, finished fourth in the Colonial with Gladhand and said, “He’s improving every race, and that’s all I look for. This new track is a palace — what’s not to like — and I’ll be back many times.”

Peck will be back, too. He enjoyed a second trip to the winner’s circle Sunday when his 4-year-old pacer, Palone Ranger, broke the 1:50 barrier in a $25,000 conditioned pace, beating seven rivals in 1:49 with Pierce driving again.

Harrah’s Chester Casino & Racetrack will revive more history with the $200,000 Battle of the Brandywine for 3-year-old pacers next Sunday, August 19.