Chester, PA – Todd McCarthy made a clean sweep of the Friday (April 19) features for pacing distaffs at Harrah’s Philadelphia, triumphing with Absolute Power in the $13,500 headliner for developing horses and then coming back with Blood Moon A to get the big share of the $13,000 purse in the contest for fast-class mares.

The outside post seven proved to be little challenge for the Sweet Lou 4-year-old mare Absolute Power, who led at every call, with fractions of :27.1, :56.2, and 1:24.3. Vel Miss Taylor gave good stretch chase from the pocket, but Absolute Power stayed in control by 1-1/4 lengths in matching her lifetime best of 1:52.3, set here two years ago. The powerful team of trainer Tom Cancelliere and brother/owner John own the swift winner.

The Pet Rock mare Blood Moon A enjoyed a pocket trip in the event for proven older females while Kickupyaheels N set fractions of :27.1, :55.3, and 1:23.1. Blood Moon A was moved outside for the stretch and managed to work by the pacesetter by a neck, with Turn On The Charm a hard-closing third, just pictured out for second. The victory was the first on North American soil for Blood Moon A in three starts since her importation, which means the 1:51.2 final time is her new mark for trainer Jeff Cullipher and Pollack Racing LLC.

The race after Blood Moon A won, McCarthy piloted the Meadowlands shipper to Decision Day to victory, giving him four visits to the winners circle Friday at Philly – and then he headed off to The Meadowlands for nighttime competition over the Jersey mile oval.

There are a pair of $13,000 paces for the fast-class set when racing resumes at Philly on Sunday (April 21) at 12:40 p.m. The seventh race division appears the tougher of the two, with All Class, a 1:49.3 winner here last Sunday (April 14), starting from the rail and having Dragononthebeach just to his right – a far easier spot than the outside post the “Dragon” faced last week. Should the latter prevail, trainer Jeff Cullipher could be in a good spot to sweep the headliners, as he has early favorite Ervin Hanover in the tenth race feature section.

Free programs for Harrah’s Philly racing are available at www.phha.org.