by PHHA

Chester, PA — The John Simpson Sr. stakes series continued at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Friday afternoon (Oct. 28), with action for 2-year-old trotters of both sexes. Even though each of the winners had been away from the races for 18 days or more, all had been trained to a winning mile by well-known conditioners and got the job done.

Perhaps the most appropriately named of the winners was the Cantab Hall-Poster Princess filly Fine Tuned Lady. She made every post a winning one for the hot stakes team of driver Corey Callahan and trainer John Butenschoen in the first of two $35,000 divisions for the ladies.

The Pennsylvania Sire Stakes champion, also the winner of the Kentuckiana Stallion Management stake at Hoosier Park, held off the late bid of pocketsitting Cool Cates by a length in 1:56.1 despite an absence of 21 days, running her record to 11-5-5-0, worth $363,990 to the partnership of William Wiswell and M&L Of Delaware LLC.

In the other division, trainer Jimmy Takter completed the Cantab Hall filly sweep by having Bridal Suite, a daughter of Starlet Rules, ready to go after 18 days away from the track, as she posted a victory in 1:59 over pacesetting favorite Southwind Prius for driver Matt Kakaley.

Bridal Suite moved up second-over, was left raw when her cover broke around the turn and burst to the lead by headstretch. She then maintained her advantage to the wire to win by 1-1/4 lengths for owners Christina Takter, John and Jim Fielding, and Herb Liverman.

In the single colt division, worth $68,800, the Credit Winner-Apple Plush colt Money Macintosh had not been out since making a break while in contention in a Lexington Grand Circuit event 22 days previous. Watching him expand his lead from two to six lengths in the stretch, however, you’d never know it.

Trainer Julie Miller had the five-time winner of $156,479 prepared as he equaled his lifetime mark of 1:56.2 for driver/husband Andy Miller and owners Stroy Inc.