Chester, PA — The Bar Hopping gelding Hey Porter got a rough welcome from his Harrah’s Philadelphia opponents upon coming in from Plainridge to compete in the $13,000 fast-class handicap feature trot on Thursday afternoon (Aug. 13), but he overcame a hard trip to win in 1:52.3.
Handicapped outside in the field of seven, Hey Porter and driver Mark Herschberger left to the outside of Sapphirerainstar and Kierkegaard K, next in the wagering to the favored winner, and those two forced Hey Porter to take back into the three-hole as Kierkegaard K eventually got around his hard-charging early foe and set fractions of :26.4 and :56.1.
Hey Porter was back out uncovered midway up the backstretch, before the 1:24.1 three-quarters, and steadily ground forward to prevail by a length over Sapphirerainstar, who just caught Kierkegaard K for second.
Hey Porter, trained by Enrico Robinson for Pollack Racing LLC, now has career earnings of $324,088.
In a $12,000 event for developing trotters, the Southwind Frank mare On Golden Pond, making her first start for owner Ronald Borduc and trainer Marc Mosher, swept four-wide from last past the three-quarters and picked up her opposition to win going away in a lifetime-best 1:56.1. Trae Porter sensed he had plenty of horse left despite her being away from the races for almost two months, fed her wide racetrack, and On Golden Pond proved equal to the task.
Corey Callahan and Herschberger tied for driving honors on the day with three victories each; Johnathan Ahle and Patrick Ryder each visited the winner’s circle two times.
The 2-year-old pacing colts in the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes come to Philly on Friday (Aug. 14) for their third preliminary round, with double winner Starstruck Dreamer, coming off a 1:49.4 victory at Pocono, figures to be the horse to beat in the $129,892 single Sire Stakes split, which will be complemented by five Stallion Series sectors worth $20,000 each. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.