Thursday (Aug. 20) marked the beginning of another three-card racing week at Harrah’s Philadelphia, with the International Moni gelding Arrowhead Hanover giving another strong performance to take the $13,000 feature for older fast-class trotters in 1:53.
Tag: PHHA
Freshmen featured in Tuesday Pocono action
Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania featured four $16,000 events for 2-year-olds as its Tuesday afternoon (Aug. 18) features. While these horses are coming along a little late to race in Pocono’s $1.4 million Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Championships for freshmen on Sept. 7, they have shown the potential to climb quite high in their development, and the best state-sired performers may just be able to earn spots in the 2027 sophomore Sire Stakes finales.
Hey Porter too much for Philly opposition
The Bar Hopping gelding Hey Porter got a rough welcome from his Harrah’s Philadelphia opponents upon coming in from Plainridge to compete in the $13,000 fast-class handicap feature trot on Thursday afternoon (Aug. 13), but he overcame a hard trip to win in 1:52.3.
Long shots continue to light up Pocono tote board
In Tuesday’s (Aug. 11) sixth race at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, a trotter named Bijou Blue Chip made her career debut from post 8, and she was dismissed at 92-1, the longest odds in the race. Bijou Blue Chip was in the second half of her field most of the race but mounted a winning rally in her bow to return a $186.40 win payoff, the highest recorded at Pocono in nearly five years.
Two Day Hangover trots Philly filly track record
There were two divisions of 2-year-old trotting fillies racing in second-round Pennsylvania Sire Stakes action on Thursday afternoon (Aug. 6) at Harrah’s Philadelphia. The two winners shared an amazing number of similarities: trainer Marcus Melander, driver Dexter Dunn, sire Captain Corey, being laid off for 23 days, favoritism, lowering their lifetime bests, staying undefeated, and setting a track record for their group.
Gigi N Miki game in Pocono feature
On a speed-favoring Tuesday afternoon at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, the freshman Always B Miki-Gigi From Fiji filly Gigi N Miki went wire-to-wire in the biggest purse event of the day, a $16,000 event restricted to 2-year-old pacing misses, kicking home in :28 to break her maiden in 1:55.1.
American Fling uses perfect trip to win Pocono feature
American Fling got a perfect trip then struck the front late to win Saturday afternoon’s (Aug. 1) $18,500 fast-class pacing feature at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania in a lifetime best 1:48.4.
Benjamin Hanover turns tables on Ari Ferrari J
After heat and then thunderstorms all but shut down the last two Thursday programs at Harrah’s Philadelphia, the conditions this Thursday (July 16), while still hot, allowed for the races to go on, with some excellent performances highlighting the day.
Rookie trotting fillies contest PA All-Stars splits
The Melander brothers, driver Mattias and trainer Marcus, won two of the four $30,000 divisions of a Pennsylvania All-Stars event for 2-year-old trotting fillies on Tuesday (July 14) at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, while driver Tyler Buter and trainer John Butenschoen combined to win the other two.
Dandy Ideal equals world record at Pocono
On an unprecedented Saturday (July 11) for Standardbred speed in northeast Pennsylvania, Dandy Ideal equaled the world record for a 4-year-old pacing gelding on a five-eighths-mile track by way of a 1:47.2 win in the $27,500 top fast-class pace at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania.