Chester, PA — The Liberty Bell stakes series, for Pennsylvania-sired youngsters, opened its fall stand at Harrah’s Philadelphia during a Friday night (Oct. 18) card of racing, and in the very first Liberty Bell event of 2024, the International Moni-Kristins Victory freshman trotting filly Country Victory set a divisional track record of 1:53.4 in winning one of that stake’s two $30,000 divisions.
Matt Kakaley sent the fleet freshman right to the lead and rattled off splits of :27.3, :57.1 and 1:25.3, then finished out in :28.1 to leave their opponents far behind while shaving a fifth of a second off the local mark, set by Insta Glam in 2020. Trainer Melvin Schmucker and owner Yacht Club 140 LLC saw their 2-year-old put her lifetime earnings into six figures with the triumph, and she also posted a lifetime mark.
The other rookie filly trot also saw the winner turn in a lifetime best, with the Southwind Frank-High Heels filly Elaine T S lowering her best by a fifth of a second with a 1:56.1 score. Looped early by a four-wide Bay Breeze Hanover, Elaine T S and driver George Napolitano Jr. pressed on to the lead as the crowd’s choice, had the field strung out much of the way, then kept pocket rival Bay Breeze Hanover away by three-quarters of a length at the finish for trainer Åke Svanstedt and the partnership of Brochart Stable Inc., Ecurie Diocles AB and Åke Svanstedt Inc.
There were also two $32,450 Liberty Bell sections for 3-year-old male pacers. Kakaley also won the first section for the sophomores with Vengeance Blue Chip, putting up quick numbers of :27.1, :55 and 1:22.3 with favored Rush In right behind him and the others in the field falling back in the late stages. Vengeance Blue Chip dug in tenaciously and fended off Rush In by a half length while taking a new mark of 1:49.4 for trainer Joe Pavia Jr. and the ownership of Vincent Ferriero Jr., John Whitig, Donald Kayser, and Pint Size Racing LLC.
Tim Tetrick hooked up with the Stay Hungry gelding Armada Hanover to post a 1:51.1 victory in this group’s other section. Favored Solid Character challenged early but quickly got the message from the streaking Armada Hanover to find a spot along the pylons and then was not a late factor; closest at the finish was the tuck-then-first-over De La Hoya Hanover, but his bid, while solid, came up three parts of a length shy. Brett Pelling conditions the winner for David McDuffee, Rojan Stables, and Pelling Racing LLC.
A $15,000 event was carded for the fastest overnight trotters at Philly, and the Bar Hopping gelding Keg Stand surmounted the outermost post with good gate speed, taking his field coast-to-coast while fighting off potential pocket rocket Mississippi Storm by a length in 1:52.2. Todd McCarthy had the drive behind the winner of $682,798 for trainer Nicholas DeVita and the ownership of David Hamm and EVM Racing LLC.
The distaff fast-class pace was also worth $15,000, and in it the Four Starzzz Shark mare Elektra A beat out Talk Curdy To Me, coming up the inside from the pocket to tally for driver Corey Callahan in 1:51.1, with a neck separating the stablemate at the finish. Trainer Jeff Cullipher and Pollack Racing LLC took 75% of the purse with the one-two finish.
A $14,000 fast-class pace for males saw Da Delightful, a son of Bettor’s Delight, move to the lead early under the direction of driver David Miller then stay clear of grinding chalk I Did It Myway by a length in a 1:50.4 mile with identical back quarters of :27.2. Mark Silva owns and trains the winner of $476,695.
Honors among the horsemen for the night were the triples for Napolitano and Tetrick on the driving side, allowing Napolitano to retain a two-win margin over Tetrick atop the local colony. On the training side, Cullipher, who is second in the conditioners’ win standings at both Philly and Pocono, had a triple, and Svanstedt had a double.
Racing at Philly resumes on Sunday (Oct. 20) at 12:40 p.m., with sophomore trotting colts and freshman pacing fillies in the Liberty Bell spotlight. Thursday afternoon (Oct.24) racing at 12:25 p.m. rejoins the Harrah’s regular schedule this coming week. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.