Chester, PA — The Sweet Lou sophomore gelding Toast Of The Town, last seen getting a luckless trip in his Jug elimination, on Sunday afternoon (Oct. 18) returned to the state where he had scored three stakes wins at as many tracks and won the $14,000 featured pace for up-and-coming horses easily in 1:51.2.
Jack Pelling made a move after the :26.4 opening quarter to take over command before the :54.3 half, opened distance on his opposition before the 1:23 three quarters, and was never in doubt to the wire, with Moneyhill GB rallying up the inside to take second, 2-1/2 lengths back. Noel Daley conditions the winner of $253,117 for Let It Ride Stables Inc., Morrison Racing Stables, Jesmeral Stable, and Alberg Racing.
(Toast Of The Town, by the way, was also the name of a popular variety program that was broadcast every Sunday and was hosted by Ed Sullivan, who was a harness racing fan – Cardigan Bay once appeared on the show, 58 years ago this week, after he became the first millionaire!)
Mardi Gras Man, who had ripped off seven straight wins before so-so efforts in his last couple, rebounded in a big way in the $13,500 co-feature for developing male pacers, making every pole a winning one in a 1:51.1 mile. The altered sophomore son of Stay Hungry has mostly been an off-the-pace type, but here driver Simon Allard had him on the stick rather quickly, and he stayed strong with a :55 back half to defeat 152-1 shot Mick Steamy by 3-1/2 lengths. Allard, trainer Stacy Chiodo, and Timothy Tobias Stable LLC combined again after winning Friday’s feature with Luckylady Hanover.
The fourth of four consecutive winners for Allard (he now trails Tim Tetrick by only 113-107 for the top spot in the meet) came courtesy of the Always B Miki gelding Joemikiyoursofine in the $13,000 topline pace for the fast-class group. The winner, trained by Chris Choate for owners Anthony Ruggeri and Richard Tosies, stung American Son to a :26.4 opener before letting him go to sit in the golden chair, then came back in the stretch to be 1-3/4 lengths of that rival in 1:51.4 as he boosted his career bankroll to $395,285.
The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation made a stop at Harrah’s Philly and conducted two “Pink Out” races featuring full fields of eight female drivers. Marianna Monaco, a 31-year-old provisional driver who races primarily in Maine, certainly enjoyed her visit to southeast Pennsylvania, winning both Pink Out events, with Ain’tnostopn Time (1:53.4) and Allstar Cheddar (1:53.2). The two Pink Out races were announced by Jessica Paquette, who calls the race at Parx thoroughbred track just up I-95 from Philly. The proceeds from the women’s drivers, and from the two races for the American Harness Drivers Club (both were won by Yogi Sheridan, who also trained Monaco’s first success story and one of his own AHDC winners), will be donated to the Komen Foundation.
Mostly everybody who had multiple wins at Philly on Sunday has been mentioned already: Simon Allard with his four driving wins, plus driving doubles by Pink Out participant and provisional driver Marinna Monaco and amateur driver Yogi Sheridan, who also trained a pair. Winning the late double to join this list were drivers Mark Herschberger and Jim Marohn Jr.
Philly will next race on “Trottin’ Thursday” (Oct. 22) at 12:25 p.m., with last week’s featured trot winner Benjamin Hanover handicapped to the outside post seven in the $16,000 feature. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.