Philadelphia, PA — On Wednesday afternoon (Oct. 16) Harrah’s Philadelphia started its serving of Liberty Bell Series stakes action with $180,800 on the line in three divisions of freshman male action for each of both gaits. Despite a rainy day during which the track was rerated from “good” to “sloppy,” four of the six winners took lifetime marks.

Form held up in the first two of the trotting contests. Gelding Saxon (Father Patrick-Muscle Amour) rallied out of the pocket to catch pacesetting DD’s Redemption (Ake Svanstedt) in his division, stopping the timer in 1:56.3 (good) in posting a half-length victory. A double winner in PA Stallion Series action, Saxon was handled by David Miller for trainer Jim Campbell for the Runthetable Stables.

Loyal Fox Hanover (Andover Hall-Lady Lucky Hanover) looked like he might be facing difficulty after PA Fair Championship winner Stickler Hanover got to the half in 1:00 in their section, but the altered son of Andover Hall ground into 57.1 – 28.1 back fractions to get by the stubborn pacesetter by 1-1/4 lengths in 1:57.1 (sloppy). Loyal Fox Hanover (Dexter Dunn), a Stallion Series winner who was second in his Championship, is trained Chuck Sylvester, who is a co-owner along with Steve Jones, Mary Kinsey Arnold, and Paul Bordogna.

The one trotting cut that saw the chalk defeated was also the fastest division on that gait, and it was won by the Muscle Massive – My Winning Way K colt Moveoutofmyway K (Muscle Massive-My Winning Way K) in 1:56 (sloppy). Yannick Gingras tipped his colt out of the pocket up the backstretch and immediately got the lead as the pacesetter broke, and then the pair were able to ward off the late burst of favored Patriarch Hanover (Matt Kakaley) by a half-length. Norm Parker conditions the first-time stakes winner for owner Robert Key.

Contrasting with the trotting events, the contests for baby pacers saw no favorite emerge victoriously. The fastest colt winner was Lake Charles (Well Said-Bodacious Hanover), who was sent to the top by Tim Tetrick, then came home in :55.1 – :27.2 for a 1:51.4 victory (good). Tell Them Lou (Dexter Dunn) was three-quarters of a length back in second and favored Manticore (David Miller) third behind the PA Stallion Series Championship winner, who is trained by Ray Schnittker and is co-owned by him with Dr. John Egloff, Max Hempt, and Steven Arnold.

Brian Sears sent Father Nuno (Somebeachsomewhere-Worldly Treasure), the full brother to Captaintreacherous, to the top in his division, and like Lake Charles, Father Nuno (Brian Sears) posted back splits of :55.1 – 27.2 to complete the mile in 1:53.1 (sloppy), 2-1/4 lengths ahead of favored Mac’s Big Boy. The brother team of trainer Tom and owner John Cancelliere are the sponsorship behind the impeccably-bred baby.

The longest shot of the six stakes-winners at $30.60, mare Keystone Dash (Sweet Lou-Keystone Dawn), who rallied from the pocket for driver Andrew McCarthy to overhaul pacesetting favorite Starship by a nose in 1:53.1 (good). The youngster, a PA Stallion Series winner who is owned by Ake Svanstedt Inc., had not raced in 33 days, but despite any layoff Svanstedt horses usually come out ready for a big mile, as did Keystone Dash today.