Chester, PA — On Thursday’s (June 4) 15-race program at Harrah’s Philadelphia, there were 10 miles trotted in 1:55 or faster, with Ginger Tree Lex rallying to take top honors in the $14,000 trotting feature with a 1:54 score.
The winner of her divisional Pennsylvania Sire Stakes championship in 2025 but unlucky a bit so far this year, Ginger Tree Lex saw her fortunes improve greatly during this race, in which she was backed off the gate by driver Andy McCarthy and let others, particularly pacesetter B Mo, do a great deal of work in a :28.1, :57.1 and 1:25.2 battle, while there were horses three-wide into the first turn and then again from the bottom of the second turn to midway on the far turn.
The last wide horse was Ginger Tree Lex, and she had enough in reserve to keep working forward then get by the beleaguered pacesetter in 1:54. Steve Cook trains the classy filly for owners Sam Beegle, Ginger Tree Ventures LLC, Knollview Stable 2, and Robert Reber Jr.
The underclass for the younger horses, with a purse of $13,500, was also won by McCarthy, using tactics totally different than the ones he used with “Lex.” The Manyofmanymissions gelding Geronimo Trio IT made every pole a winning one, with splits of :28, :57.2 and 1:25.3 preceding his reaching the wire in 1:53.4, just a fifth of a second off his lifetime mark. Per Engblom conditions the winner of two straight for Tar Heel Racing.
The Walner colt Inexpressable, a $325,000 yearling, looked worth every dollar of that while equaling his mark of 1:53. Trainer Lucas Wallin took a turn in the sulky and sent his horse uncovered during the last half, charging home in :55.4 to win by 4 lengths. The Commonwealth Series champion in Kentucky at 2, Inexpressable is owned by Wallin Racing Stable Inc. and Karin Walter-Mommert.
The fast-class trotters were gathered for $13,000, a race won by the Sebastian K S gelding Benjamin Hanover in 1:52, the fastest during a day of speedy clockings. Tim Tetrick worked out a pocket trip with his charge, and Benjamin Hanover trotted his last half in :54.4 to ward off a big late surge up the Inside by Ultion Face S by a neck, winning for the 33rd time in his 68-race career for trainer Scott DiDomenico and owner Angela Cornell.
Meet leader Tetrick checked home first four times; Corey Callahan, Mark Herschberger, and Andrew McCarthy had driving doubles.
Philly’s “Filly And Mare Friday” (June 5) will have the same sort of mix as Thursday’s trotters, with contests for established and developing female pacers in the spotlight. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.