Chester, PA — Near-freezing temperatures and a strong stretch headwind did not make for a good day for speed horses on Thursday (Dec. 11) at Harrah’s Philadelphia, but the two feature winners fronted their fields through most of their respective races.
The top purse event was a $13,500 contest for developing trotters, won by the 3-year-old Propulsion gelding The Brodster in 1:55.3 as he won his second race in his last three trips behind the gate. Ridge Warren wanted control of the top with the sophomore, and the pair drew more and more clear most of the last half, with Yardbird 5-1/4 lengths behind at the finish. Per Engblom conditions the winner for Engblom Stable LLC and Evans Nation.
The Muscle Mass gelding Cassius Hanover stepped up in company and produced his second straight victory, on Thursday mastering the $13,000 fast-class trotters in 1:55.4. Favored Te Amo Lindy yielded to the winner, who overcame the outermost stating slot, at the quarter to sit in the two-hole, but his late charge up the inside fell a neck short as Cassius Hanover dashed home in :29.2, the day’s co-fastest last quarter, in winning for driver Johnathan Ahle and trainer Emily Bost, the latter co-owner with R K 4 Racing.
Simon Allard and George Napolitano Jr. had three driving successes on the card. For Napolitano, eighth on the all-time dash-winning list and sixth among active drivers at 12,869 victories, this was his fourth straight Philly driving day with at least three winners. He is second in 2025 locally, and Allard is third, behind leader Tim Tetrick.
To complete its racing week, Philly has cards on Friday (Dec. 12) at 12:25 p.m. and Sunday (Dec. 14) at 12:40 p.m. The last two holiday weeks of the year, Philly will race live on a Friday-Sunday-Wednesday schedule, with Fridays at 12:25 p.m. and Sundays at 12:40 p.m. as usual, but the special pre-holiday Wednesdays having special post times: Christmas Eve (Dec. 24) at 12 noon, and New Year’s Eve (Dec. 31) at 4 p.m. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.