Chester, PA — Focus Pocus went to the lead and held off the stubborn grind of favorite Storm Is Raging for a 1:53.1 win in Thursday’s (Nov. 3) $16,200 featured handicap trot at Harrah’s Philadelphia.

Coming off a 1:52.4 career best at Pocono in front-end fashion with George Napolitano Jr. aboard, there seemed no need for Focus Pocus to change tactics. The 5-year-old Muscle Massive gelding pushed three-wide early to clear to the lead on the first turn en route to a :27.1 quarter, and then got a breather to the :56.3 half. Storm Is Raging commenced his uncovered grind from last in the five-horse field nearing the midpoint, worked closer toward the 1:24.3 three-quarters, but still finished 1-1/2 lengths short at the wire despite trotting his own back half in :55.3.

Focus Pocus advanced his lifetime earnings to $199,358 with the victory. Trainer Jeff Cullipher shares ownership in the talented trotter with Pollack Racing LLC.

In a $14,400 co-featured trot, the Donato Hanover gelding College Tuition rode the two-hole behind Highgate and then overtook him through the lane to produce a 2-1/2 length victory while lowering his mark a tick to 1:55. Jack Pelling drove the winner, who raised his earnings to $108,860 for trainer Courtney Foster and owner Eric Foster.

Another Like Me, a freshman daughter of Muscle Hill out of O’Brien Award winner Stubborn Belle, made her career debut a winning one, soaring to a 1:54.1 score while 15-1/2 lengths the best. She left from the rail for driver Jimmy Takter and trainer Nancy Takter and put up fractions of :27, :54.1 and 1:23.3.

Under only the mildest of coaxing in the stretch, Another Like Me just missed the divisional track record held by Insta Glam by a fifth of a second. for the partnership of of Al Libfeld, Marvin and Lynn Katz, and Sam Goldband.

Four drivers had doubles on the Thursday card: Simon Allard, Troy Beyer, Kasper Foget and George Napolitano Jr.

A pair of $22,500 handicap paces for the track’s best fast-class horses are scheduled for the Friday afternoon (Nov. 4) card at Harrah’s Philadelphia, with fillies and mares competing in race five and horses, colts and geldings going to the gate in race 10. Program pages for all Philly cards are published on the PHHA website.