Forbidden Trade powerful in Philly feature

Chester, PA — Forbidden Trade, winner of the 2019 Hambletonian, overcame the outside post eight on his way to a 1:52.4 win in the $16,200 handicap trotting feature at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Thursday afternoon (June 10).

Big Oil, himself a world record setter at 2 in 2019, made Forbidden Trade work for control of the racetrack, but after the :26.4 opening quarter, driver Bob McClure was able to give the 4-5 favorite a soft middle half through fractions of :55.3 and 1:24.4. Turning on the speed down the stretch, the 5-year-old son of Kadabra came home in :28 to complete the mile in 1:52.4, with Big Oil 1-1/4 lengths back.

This was the first seasonal victory for Forbidden Trade, but he’s had three quality starts in 2021: a fourth-place finish in the Arthur Cutler from post 10, a third-place finish in the Maxie Lee after working uncovered into a head-stretch lead, and now this triumph. Luc Blais trains the winner of $1,345,082 for owner Determination.

In the faster of a pair of $14,400 co-featured trots, the 3-year-old Bar Hopping colt Arnold N Dicky, who trotted a 1:54 world record-equaling mile at the Delaware (Ohio) County Fair last year, came within two-fifths of a second of the local track record for his group, set by Googoo Gaagaa, with an authoritative 1:52.3 victory.

Driver Victor Kirby, whose three wins on the day were exceeded only by local leading driver Tim Tetrick with four, rushed Arnold N Dicky to the lead by the :56.2 half, and then the swift sophomore came home in :56.1 with powerful strides to stamp himself a consideration for the national stakes scene. Hall of Fame trainer Chuck Sylvester co-owns Arnold N Dicky with Amy Stoltzfus and Linda Goldman.

With favored Shikansen making an early break in the other division, driver Corey Callahan pointed the Father Patrick mare Cocktails N Dreams right to the lead, and she reduced her mark a tick to 1:55.2 in victory. Katricia Adams trains for Benjamin Gordon and Never Too Late Racing LLC.

The Friday program at Harrah’s Philadelphia will open with a $2,580.20 carryover in the opening Pick-4, comprised of the first four races of the day. There will also be a carryover of $1,140.81 going into the Pick-3 starting in race seven. Program pages are available at the PHHA website.

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