Harrah's Philadelphia: Baker's dozen of stakes on Sunday

The best of the best in the older divisions will be on display on Sunday when Harrah's Philadelphia hosts three $100,000 Invitational events. The Commodore Barry for open pacers joins the Betsy Ross for open pacing mares and the Maxie Lee for elite trotters on a 15-race program, with a Pennsylvania-sired stakes-filled supporting cast.

Manchego is likely to be the star of the day given her exemplary performance in her season's debut a couple of weeks back in the Arthur Cutler Memorial at the Meadowlands.

"That may have been one of the greatest efforts by a trotter of all time," said trainer Nancy Takter, attempting to describe the 1:51 1/5 score on May 15 by Manchego, the likely favorite in Sunday's Maxie Lee.

Manchego captured the Cutler after being parked the entire mile and racing without cover for a long distance. The 6-year-old by Muscle Hill could have been racing in Sweden on Sunday instead of Pennsylvania, but her connections felt the travel demands currently in place for a U.S.-based horse to race in the Elitlopp were too much to ask of Manchego or any other top trotter.

"Without a direct flight into Stockholm, I can't see how any American horse will enter there," said Takter.

While Manchego (post five) enters the Maxie Lee (race 13) as the richest and fastest in the field of eight, she is the only mare in a group that includes Dan Patch winner Amigo Volo (post one), 2019 Hambletonian champion Forbidden Trade (post four), as well as the streaking It's Academic (post eight). It's Academic has captured two stakes races in succession and was brilliant for trainer Ron Burke in winning a Graduate division at the Meadowlands on May 22 in 1:51 1/5 after being parked a half-mile to get control.

With champion Shartin N retired, trainer Jim King Jr. has been able to forge ahead with some very talented open pacing mares. Soho Burning Love A was second fiddle in the stable for some time, but the import has emerged in recent weeks and enters Sunday's Betsy Ross in brilliant form.

"I think Shartin N retiring has helped a lot of these mares," said King.

Still, the 7-year-old Soho Burning Love A has done some things recently that make her stand out in her own right, most notably a 1:48 2/5 score at the Meadowlands on May 15 that ended with a 52 4/5 final half.

"I think we've started to figure her out better," said King. "We've spaced her races out and given her more recovery time, and that seems to have made a difference."

Soho Burning Love A drew post two in the Ross, race 12 on the Sunday program with a first post of 12:40 p.m. She'll meet a solid collection of mares that includes JK First Lady (post three), who makes the third start of the season for trainer Nancy Takter.

"She's had a pair of tough races so far," said Takter of the 4-year-old Western Ideal-sired mare. "I'm hoping with the inside post she can work out a better trip."

First or second in 11 of her 14 starts as a sophomore, JK First Lady, like the aforementioned Manchego, will be driven by Dexter Dunn.

The $100,000 Commodore Barry has all the elements of the best pacing race of the season, given the draw and the contenders. Leonidas A (post three) has won six of his seven starts this year, all at Yonkers, for trainer Sheena McElhiney. The import returned from a month off with a solid 1:51 1/5 victory over that surface on May 17 against Open company. That should serve as a useful tightener for the Commodore Barry.

This Is The Plan was the only horse to defeat Leonidas A this year, and that came in the final of the MGM Borgata Pacing Series at Yonkers on April 19 when Yannick Gingras guided the veteran from post eight to victory in the $514,000 event. Gingras and This Is The Plan once again are behind the eight-ball for the Commodore Barry, but the resilient son of Somebeachsomewhere has proven on countless occasions that he can overcome tough draws and more taxing trips.

Nicholas Beach may be an emerging star from the Jennifer Bongiorno stable. The 5-year-old by Somebeachsomewhere enters the Commodore Barry with the least experience in the field but perhaps the most amount of pure speed. That speed was in evidence last week when he captured an Open Handicap at the Meadowlands (5/22) in a career-best 1:47 2/5 clocking. Joe Bongiorno will guide Nicholas Beach from post five.

Western Joe (post one) has earned more this year through May than he did in 2020 and could add to his bank account with a top performance on Sunday. The 7-year-old has the most career starts by far in the field but remains as tough a customer in this class as you could find.

Add American History, a past Breeders Crown champion, to the solid group, and it's easy to see how contentious the field could be once the starting gate pulls away. The 6-year-old, who landed post seven, has been on a solid form spree of late, winning two of his last three starts, including a 1:47 2/5 mile at the Meadowlands on May 15.

On the undercard at Harrah's Philadelphia on Sunday are a pair of Pennsylvania Sire Stakes events for 3-year-old male pacers. Abuckabett Hanover (post one) and Perfect Sting (post five) meet once again in the $76,329 first division, carded as race six. Abuckabett Hanover ended Perfect Sting's 10-race winning streak with the 1:50 clocking at Pocono on May 16.

One Eight Hundred (post six) looks like the real deal for trainer Nancy Takter in the second $76,729 Sire Stakes division that goes as race 14.

"Timmy (Tetrick) was very excited about him after his last race," said Takter of One Eight Hundred. "We're going to point him for the big races."

One Eight Hundred was a solid first-leg winner in the Sire Stakes, pacing home in 26 1/5 in defeating Southwind Gendry on May 16 at Pocono. The pair renew their battle on Sunday, with Southwind Gendry landing post two in the field of seven.

In addition to the on-track action, Harrah's Philadelphia is offering a $10,000 guaranteed all-stakes late Pick 4 that kicks off with race ten.