Chester, PA – As a sure sign that summer is just around the corner, the season’s first 2-year-olds made the racetrack during Tuesday morning’s qualifying session at Harrah’s Philadelphia, with a pair of 2-year-old pacing fillies getting their first charted lines.
In a race won by the sophomore Ragin Lacey in 1:58.1, Areta finished second and Twin B Msamericana was fourth. Areta, who was race-timed in 1:59.1, is sired by More The Better N, a son of Bettor’s Delight who is based in Maryland, while Twin B Msamericana is a daughter of American Ideal out of Avia Hanover, a three-quarter sister to 2021 Dan Patch Award-winning double millionaire Allywag Hanover.
Two-year-olds are also slated for action at The Meadows today (Tuesday) and Pocono tomorrow (Wednesday), as trainers want to have their precocious babies ready for the stakes season in Pennsylvania, which begins at the fairs on June 25 at Butler, and at the parimutuels on July 2 at The Meadows.
Winners of other qualifiers at Philly Tuesday include:
* French Wine, a son of Bar Hopping who was second, beaten a neck, in the 2024 Hambletonian Maturity in his last start, here winning a third qualifier on the comeback trail in 1:55 — :56.1 for Team Orange Crush (Andy and Julie Miller);
* Faze, a daughter of Sweet Lou who was a winner of her Matron Stakes and took a 1:51 mark at 2, winning in 1:55.3 first-over, her own back fractions :54.4 – :27 for driver Tim Tetrick and trainer Brett Pelling;
* Tahuya Devil, one of the few horses “over east” who was bred in the state of Washington, coming to the Right Coast from Fraser Downs with 13 wins in 19 career starts, and succeeding in 1:53.4, with Tetrick aboard for trainer Andrew Harris. He is a 5-year-old son of American Ideal.
The Philly qualifiers are or will soon be available for viewing at www.phha.org.