Owner-trainer Stacey Currie doubles up in Philly features
August 22, 2022,Chester, PA — Owner-trainer Stacey Currie took two of the three co-featured $12,000 claiming handicap paces on Sunday (Aug. 21) at Harrah’s Philadelphia, sending Hundie N and Newbie to victory in their respective events.
Hundie N, who Currie claimed out of his previous start, cruised on the engine to an easy 1:51.3 triumph. Montrell Teague drove the Bettor’s Delight gelding, who now has won $268,210 in his career. The Always A Virgin gelding Newbie, who Currie claimed for $10,000 in July, made two speed moves en route to a 1:52.3 win — his third in his last four starts — in line to Simon Allard, who led all drivers with four wins on the card.
The other feature winner, and the fastest, was the Art Major gelding Major Bean, who used engine tactics to lower his mark to 1:51. The meet’s leading driver, Tim Tetrick, handled the winner of $158,196 for trainer Darren Taneyhill and owner Eric Prevost.
The American Harness Drivers Club for amateur horsemen were featured in four events, with Tony Beltrami winning the trot and Nicole DiCostanzo, Jacob Stillwell and Frank Tsipouras winning the paces. This is the fourth straight week Tsipouras has won an AHDC race at Philly, and the crowd is finally catching on – after paying $27.60, $63.60, and $24.60 in his first three wins, Tsipouras’ horse was backed heavily and paid $4.20 to win.
With many claimers now racing on Sundays and each of the AHDC series carrying an optional claiming tag, 11 of Sunday’s 14 races had horses available to be claimed. In all, nine horses on the card changed hands for a total of $147,450.
Two-year-old fillies will have their final opportunity to earn points in the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes and Stallion Series during the coming week at Harrah’s Philadelphia. Trotters will be featured on Thursday (Aug. 25) and pacers on Sunday (Aug. 28), one week before Harrah’s will host the $1M Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Championships for all four divisions of 2-year-olds on Sept. 4. Program pages for all action at Harrah’s Philadelphia will be available on the PHHA website.