Chester, PA – Northern Baccarat and Barefoot’npregnant won the $12,600 featured paces on Wednesday (Sept.8) afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia and amazingly for the speed-favoring track, they were the only two horses to lead their fields at both the halfway point and the finish.

The Bettor’s Delight gelding Northern Baccarat made an early pace-controlling move for Tim Tetrick, the track’s leading driver who added four more to his total today, rated the half, then sprinted home in :55.4 – :27.3 to draw clear in a career-best 1:52.4 in the feature for males. Paul Stafford trains the improving four-year-old, now victorious in three of his last six outings, for owner Thomas Ceraso Jr.

The crowd found little difference between Barefoot’npregnant (4-5) and Three Way Split (6-5) in the headline division for distaffs, and that’s just how they came through the stretch, with the Shadow Play filly Barefoot’npregnant setting the pace and then just resisting the inside charge of Three Way Split by a neck while equaling her lifetime best of 1:53.2. Driver George Napolitano Jr., trainer Michael Hall, and the ownership of Let It Ride Stables Inc. are three-for-three with the sophomore after acquiring her just over a month ago.

The $11,200 fast-class pace for veteran performers went to the Somebeachsomewhere gelding Bombshell Hanover, who has worked out a pocket trip in four of his last five starts, with two wins and two seconds; here he sat behind a tough opponent in Somebaddude, then came up the inside in the stretch to hang a neck decision on him while equaling his mark of 1:50.4. Simon Allard guided the Josh Green trainee for the KDP Stable LLC.

Tomorrow’s “Trottin’ Thursday” card at Philly featured two $14,400 divisions of class climbing trotters, along with a $13,000 fast-class event for the diamond-gaited horses. On Friday, Harrah’s will celebrate its 15th Anniversary, with the nostalgia and festivities, along with the racing card, beginning at 6 p.m. Program pages are available at https://www.phha.org/harrahspps.html.