Chester, PA — The E L Titan gelding Super Duper Cooper sat in the pocket during Thursday’s (Sept. 17) featured $16,000 handicap event for the top-quality trotters at Harrah’s Philadelphia, was able to adjust to whatever tempo Little Expensive set, and then came on in the stretch to go past the pacesetter by three-quarters of a length in 1:53.
Super Duper Cooper left for the top early then yielded to Little Expensive as that one carried on to the quarter in :28.1, then got a big-time breather to reach the half in :58.4. With favored Hey Porter (a stablemate of Super Duper Cooper) coming on uncovered up the backstretch, Little Expensive summoned a :26.3 third quarter to keep control, reaching the three-quarters in 1:25.2. And even though the leader added on a :27.4 last quarter, completing his own back half in :54.2 (which would be enough to win many races of this kind), Super Duper Cooper stayed connected in the pocket then moved out and completed his own last half in :54, which proved to be more than enough to take this contest.
George Napolitano Jr. had the drive behind Super Duper Cooper, who now has won $554,772 in his career and five of his last seven starts, for trainer Enrico Robinson and Pollack Racing LLC.
The $13,000 second-level fast-class trot also produced another pocket rocket as Kierkegaard K, a $449,499-winning son of Chapter Seven, rode the two-hole behind fractions of :27, :56.4 and 1:25.3, then moved to the inside for driver/trainer Åke Svanstedt and methodically trotted to the fore to register a victory in 1:54.3. Despite being away from the races for 35 days, the trotter was well-prepared by Svanstedt and ready to go for Knutsson Trotting Inc.
Trotters on the way up the class ladder contested a $13,500 race, and this one was also taken by the newly-voted Hall of Famer Svanstedt, who put a new mark of 1:54 on the heavily favored Create Escape. The victorious son of Gimpanzee surmounted a difficult first-over trip, but he powered his own back half in :55.2 to be a decisive winner for Create Escape Stable.
In all, Åke Svanstedt had three training and driving wins. The only other doubler on the day was driver George Napolitano Jr., first home twice.
Twin B Joe Fresh, the 2024 Dan Patch Horse of the Year, comes to Harrah’s Philadelphia on Friday (Sept. 18) for the 12:25 p.m. card, starting from the outside in the field of seven in the $16,000 distaff headliner; there will also be a carryover into the early Pick-4, which begins in the first race. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.