Harrah's Philadelphia: Benjamin Hanover lowers track record

The track record sheet at Harrah's Philadelphia got a very-early-in-the-season alteration on Thursday afternoon, as the 4-year-old Sebastian K trotting gelding Benjamin Hanover won powerfully in 1:51 2/5, knocking three-fifths of a second from the local divisional standard held by Scirocco Rob since 2019.

Off a 1:52 3/5 impressive local bow for Hall of Famer Joe Holloway, Benjamin Hanover was elevated to the track's $13,000 top trot and showed he could handle those horses with aplomb. Retaking the lead from Outside The Fire after a 27 3/5 opener for Holloway's fellow Hall Of Famer David Miller, the talented gelding then went on to middle fractions of 55 2/5 and 1:22 4/5. Benjamin Hanover opened up a 2 1/2 length lead on his pocketed rival through the far turn, then coasted home by 1 3/4 lengths while never threatened. Now a winner of ten of 16 lifetime starts, Benjamin Hanover looks like a horse headed for better things for owners Sarah Andrews, Angela Correll, and Jarod Miller.

The supporting features, one on each gait, were raced for $12,000. The pacing group at this level was mastered by the Sweet Lou sophomore gelding Women Layer, undefeated after two starts in 2024. After he and favored Twin B Seamonster argued through fractions of 27, 54 1/5, and 1:22 2/5, Women Layer was able to put up a neck on the money while lowering his mark to 1:51 3/5. Jack Pelling drove the developing sidewheeler for trainer/father Brett Pelling and the ownership of Howard and Judith Taylor, Order By Stable AB, and Jerry Silva.

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The winner of this class's trotting bracket paid a local season's high $137.00 to win, and came from the most unlikely of sources - driver Tim Tetrick, another Hall Of Famer and the three-time defending Philly dash champion who had never piloted a $100 winner here since records were begun in 2016. "Timmy T" got the call from owner/trainer Jim Shupe behind the E L Titan gelding Heza Scoundrel, saved ground throughout the mile, then dashed up the inside to equal his lifetime-best of 1:57 3/5. Tetrick notched three winners on the day, putting him one behind Todd McCarthy 15-14 through six days of racing as he looks to add a fourth consecutive championship here.

Racing continues at the southeast Pennsylvania oval this Friday at 12:25 and Sunday at 12:40, with features for both up-and-coming and seasoned fast-class pacers – distaffs on Friday and then males on Sunday. There will be carryovers into two Friday races, a Superfecta carryover into race one and a Pick 5 carryover into race five.

Next week there will be a variation in the basic schedule due to a Thoroughbred event to be held in Kentucky, as Philly will not race on Thursday, then go on Friday at 12:25, Saturday (Derby Day) at noon, and then Sunday at 12:40.

--press release (PHHA/Harrah's Philadelphia)--