Chester, PA — Harrah’s Philadelphia hosted its richest racing card of the year on Sunday afternoon (Sept. 4), with $1.3 million in total purses and four $252,000 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes championships for 2-year-olds headlining the 15-race program.

Three track records were set or equaled, including the all-age track record of 1:47.3, a world record was set, and another one was tied.

Clockwise, from top left: Bond (2-year-old filly trot), Beach Cowgirl (2-year-old filly pace), Fulton (2-year-old male pace) and Once In A Lifetime (2-year-old male trot) won their respective $252,000 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes championships on Sunday at Harrah’s Philadelphia. Grace Zimmers photos.

2-Year-Old Filly Pace

Beach Cowgirl, in her fourth lifetime start, rewrote the world record for her division on a five-eighths-mile track when she won her championship in 1:50, with Joe Bongiorno “sitting chilly” behind her.

Bongiorono left strongly from the rail with the daughter of Captaintreacherous-Stonebridge Sundae, trained by his sister, Jenn, and the rest of the field took back behind her in near-lineup fashion, wanting no early fight with the powerful filly. Beach Cowgirl set fractions of :26.3, :55.1 and 1:22.4 under a hold, then sprinted home in :27.1 to knock a tick off Allstar Rating’s world record, set at Pocono in 2013. The track (1:50.3, Economy Terror, 2011) and stakes (1:51, Blue Diamond Eyes, Pocono, 2020) records also fell. Preliminary point leader My Little Captain was 6-3/4 lengths back in second, just ahead of the first-over Proud Mary.

Joseph Di Scala Jr., Zippett Racing Stable, Scarlett Stables LLC and JAF Racing LLC own Beach Cowgirl, who is undefeated in four career starts and whose earnings now exceed $208,000.

In the $50,000 consolation, the Stay Hungry-Zellweger Bluechip filly Ginger Tree Coco overcame a difficult first-over journey, hitting a swifter gear on the turn and then drawing off by 1-1/4 lengths over Beltara while taking a new mark of 1:52.4. David Miller handled the Steve Cook trainee for Sam Beegle, Ginger Tree Ventures LLC, Knollview Stable and Bob Reber Jr.

2-Year-Old Filly Trot

Bond confirmed herself as a major trotting talent by easily coming home in :27.3 to take her championship event in 1:54.3.

Trainer-driver Åke Svanstedt headed right to the lead with the daughter of Southwind Frank – Boccone Dolce from post two, forcing tucks in the :28.1 first quarter. No one bothered Bond on the lead, allowing Svanstedt to loaf to the half in :58.4 before second choice Fashion Annie came uncovered and pressed the leader through a three-quarters in 1:27 and around the turn.

Nearing the head of the stretch, Svanstedt asked his filly to shift into a higher gear, and Bond left Fashion Annie four lengths behind. Now with four wins and two second-place finishes in six starts, Bond has won over $218,000 for Åke Svanstedt Inc., Little E LLC and L Berg Inc.

In the consolation, the International Moni-Seaside filly Tipsy Moni advanced uncovered up the backstretch, took the lead early in the stretch, then withstood a late charge by favored Brunella by 1-3/4 lengths while taking a new mark of 1:56.4. Jim Marohn Jr. made a rare Philly appearance and drove the winner for owner-trainer D.R. Ackerman.

2-Year-Old Colt and Gelding Trot

The Father Patrick-Sherrys Lady colt Once In A Lifetime set a track record of 1:54.2 in his championship, knocking two-fifths of a second off the mark set by Coach K Hanover last year, and giving driver Tim Tetrick his fourth Sire Stakes championship of the weekend. The win raised his career total to 18, tying him with Yannick Gingras for second behind Dave Palone’s 39 PASS final wins.

Once In A Lifetime, the favorite, tucked fourth in the :27.3 opening quarter, after which second choice Crantini moved to command and backed the half down to :57.2. The tempo picked up after Once In A Lifetime moved uncovered to challenge, and the two favorites fought it out to three-quarters in 1:25.2. Once In A Lifetime proved gritty in the lane to defeat his foe by a half length while taking a new mark for trainer Jim Campbell and Sad Frog Farms, and also topping $226,000 in earnings.

In this division’s consolation, favorite Carter Michael Deo got away behind Inter Mischief, and thus avoided all kinds of misfortune that happened early among their foes. David Miller moved the chalk, a son of International Moni-Brigham Dream, to the lead before the three-eighths and maintained his advantage to the wire, winning by 2-3/4 lengths over Inter Mischief while taking a new mark of 1:56 for trainer Ron Burke and Thestable Cartermichaeldeo.

2-Year-Old Colt and Gelding Pace

The only “upset” in the four Sire Stakes championships came when the Heston Blue Chip-Bettor Be Steamin colt Fulton powered to the lead in front of the stands and, at 2-1, went on to defeat favored Annapolis Hanover in 1:51.3.

Lousain Bolt had the speed of his “namesake” to reach the lead by the :26.2 quarter, but after that marker came moves from Bugaboo Lou, Fulton and Annapolis Hanover — in that order. The first two were successful in making the top before the :54.1 half, but Annapolis Hanover was not and left out to dry. Dexter Dunn kept Fulton rolling up the backstretch under pressure from the chalk, hitting the three quarters in 1:21.4 and then drawing clear midway on the far turn. It was a mad scramble for second, with Annapolis Hanover coming back with rare gameness to save the runner-up spot, though four lengths back.

Linda Toscano trains Fulton, now a four-time winner with over $232,000 on his card, for Let It Ride Stables Inc. and Bottom Line Racing LLC.

In the consolation, Lyons Stealth was the favorite after winning three Stallion Series divisions (and an Arden Downs division) but chose to come to Philly for the PASS consolation. He set the pace, but second choice Captain Mikey, after sitting in the two-hole behind him, pulled out with three-sixteenths to go and went on to victory by 1-1/4 lengths while equaling his mark of 1:53.4. Long shot Can’t Sway Me also got by the pacesetter late. Captain Mikey is a Captaintreacherous-Lorrie Please gelding driven by Dexter Dunn for trainer Jake Huff and owners Our Three Sons Stable LLC and Rosalia Huff.

#SendItIn Invitational Pace

Maybe not “upstaging” the impressive 2-year-olds, but certainly worthy of extended notice, was Allywag Hanover’s 1:47.3 equaling of Wiggle It Jiggleit’s all-age Philly track record and the 1:47.3 world record for older pacing geldings, notched by Bigtown Hero in 2014.

Continuing a big day for sire Captaintreacherous, Allywag Hanover, handled by Tim Tetrick, left strongly from the rail, and going to the first turn it appeared that a post lineup might be coming. However, Ruthless Hanover, in rein to Daniel Dubé, grabbed onto the bit and zoomed up to challenge, with the pair reaching the quarter in an astounding :25 before Ruthless Hanover reeled off middle splits of :51.4 and 1:19.1. Allywag and Tetrick waited in the two-hole, and in the lane the pair took off under little urging, reaching the wire in the historic 1:47.3, 4-1/4 lengths clear of the game Ruthless Hanover.

After two second-place finishes behind Bulldog Hanover sandwiched around a third-place effort behind Jimmy Freight to start his 5-year-old campaign, Allywag Hanover has now won four in a row for trainer Brett Pelling and the Allywag Stable. While Bulldog Hanover has looked like a horse for the ages for months, the 2021 Older Pacer of the Year, now having earned $1,334,780 lifetime, may be ready to reenter the company of the sport’s fastest pacers very soon.