Chester, PA — Stable Genius just missed as the favorite in last week’s top trot at Harrah’s Philadelphia, but this week, driver Todd McCarthy raced the Muscle Mass gelding on the lead, and the pair combined for a three-quarter-length decision over Chake in Thursday’s (July 4) $15,000 winners-over handicap trot at the southeast Pennsylvania oval.

McCarthy got Stable Genius away third in the early action as Chake took the field to a :27.2 quarter, then took command with his trotter in front of the stands before the :57.1 half. The two kept those positions past a 1:25.3 three-quarters, and Chake made Stable Genius work to hold his advantage, which he did to the wire in the 1:54 mile for trainer Jeff Cullipher and Pollack Racing LLC.

In the very next race, McCarthy came back with the Muscle Hill sophomore colt Lavishness to take a new mark of 1:55.1 in one of two divisions of a $12,000 sub-featured trotting class. Lavishness has now won three straight races for trainer Lucas Wallin and owners Wallin Racing Stable Inc., Wiesman Farms LLC, Joe Sbrocco & JAF Racing and Peter Delis.

The other co-feature also yielded a new mark, as 3-year-old Six Pack filly Six Inch Heels lowered her lifetime standard to 1:56. The sophomore ground powerfully and successfully for driver Troy Beyer, trainer Christopher Freck, and owners James Magno and Marita Berglund.

With stakes races for 2-year-olds starting up, there were three $11,250 contests for pacing freshmen.

Two of these races were for males: One went to the Captaintreacherous-Pure Paradise colt Captain Paradise while taking an impressive mark of 1:52.4 for driver Corey Callahan, trainer Jake Leamon, and owner Rick Berks; also successful among “the boys” was Pineapple Crunch, a Captain Crunch-Pineapple Hanover colt who made his purse bow a triumphant one in 1:55.1 by winning a photo for driver George Napolitano Jr., trainer Tom Cancelliere, and owner John Cancelliere. The rookie filly returning to Victory Lane was also a debuting member of Team Cancelliere: the Papi Rob Hanover-If Ur Richimsingle miss Sheila Sazs, driven by Callahan to a 1:56 triumph.

Racing continues at Harrah’s Philadelphia this weekend, with a Friday (July 5) card beginning at 12:25 p.m. and a Sunday (July 7) program starting at 12:40 p.m. Free Philly programs are or will be available at www.phha.org.