by Harrah’s Chester Publicity Dept.

Chester, PA — Saturday evening’s program at Harrah’s Chester Casino and Racetrack was stacked with Pennsylvania Sire Stakes and Stallion Series action for 3-year-old pacing colts, but it was a former Sire Stakes star who stole the spotlight.

Creative Racing, Jerry Silva, and Ray Schnittker’s One More Laugh ($4.00) wasn’t in much hurry off the switch, floating into mid-pack before tracking Europan Union (Brian Sears) off the first turn. Driver Tim Tetrick commented on his strategy, “I was going to race from off the pace, but when no one left, I followed Brian (Sears) to the front and was able to get an easy middle half.”

Clearing Europan Union with one circuit to go, One More Laugh was able to rate a :56 half-mile and maintain an uncontested lead to the far turn. With three-sixteenths to go, and Wambam Sam (Daryl Bier) drawing closer to the pocket-sitting Europan Union, Tetrick asked the 4-year-old McArdle gelding for a bit more pace. Tetrick continued, “In the last turn, I spoke to him, and he drew off.” With just a bit of encouragement, One More Laugh kicked away at the eighth pole, staving off a pocket charge from Europan Union to prevail by 1-1/2 lengths in 1:51.2, scoring his first win of 2011. Wambam Sam was finished third, while early pacesetter River Shark (Eric Ledford) was fourth.

Also among Tetrick’s seven wins on the evening was a 1:51 mile from Dana’s Sharp Smart ($2.10), the fastest of four Pennsylvania Sire Stakes winners. The Stanley Kaufman-owned and Linda Toscano-trained Allamerican native gelding powered right to the front when the gates flew, maintaining an uncontested lead through a relatively rapid pace throughout. He prevailed by two lengths over pocket-sitting Vegas Rusty (Brian Sears), with Fameous Western (Andy McCarthy) finishing third.

Pan From Nantucket ($19.20, Corey Callahan, 1:51.4), Custard the Dragon ($6.80, Montrell Teague, 1:51.1), and Big Bad John (non-wagering race, Brett Miller, 1:51.2) also prevailed in their Sire Stakes divisions.