Chester, PA — Joey Bats again showed his fondness for the Harrah’s Philadelphia oval, notching a 1:54.1 victory in the $18,000 trotting feature on Thursday (Sept. 5).

The 4-year-old Holiday Road gelding made every pole a winning one, rattling off splits of :27.4, :56.4 and 1:25.3 before sprinting away from his competition in the last quarter. He won by four lengths over pocket sitter Ooh Rah, giving him eight wins on the year and a career bankroll of $231,207. Andrew Harris trains the sharp trotter for Scott Dillon, Michele Nelson, and Marc Reynolds.

Tim Tetrick, who drove Joey Bats, had a successful day as well with five wins on the card. Another Tetrick triumph came in one of two $14,500 co-featured trots, where Pat Matters gave a gigantic performance, with splits of :27.3, :55.4 and 1:23.3 preceding an 8-1/2 length domination of her opposition in 1:52.2, a new mark and only two-fifths of a second off the divisional track standard set by Classic Martine (and Tetrick) in 2014. Nifty Norman trains the 4-year-old Explosive Matter mare for the Patricia Stable.

Driver Tony Morgan combined with trainer Ron Burke to tally with Mr Houdini in 1:55.1 in the other trotting co-feature. The Kadabra gelding sat in the pocket for the better part of the mile, got the lead up the inside in the lane, and then held off Boy Meets Girl K by a neck for Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC.

George Napolitano Jr., second in the Harrah’s Philadelphia driver standings behind Tetrick, recorded victories in four of the last five races.