Harrah's Philadelphia: Country Victory routs rivals in Liberty Bell

The Liberty Bell stakes series for Pennsylvania-sired youngsters opened its fall stand at Harrah's Philadelphia during a Friday night card of racing, and in the very first Liberty Bell event of 2024, the International Moni-Kristins Victory freshman trotting filly Country Victory set a divisional track record of 1:53 4/5 in winning one of that stake's two $30,000 divisions.

Matt Kakaley sent the fleet freshman right to the lead and rattled off splits of 27 3/5, 57 1/5 and 1:25 3/5, then finished out in 28 1/5 to leave her opponents far behind while shaving a fifth of a second off the local mark set by Insta Glam in 2020. Trainer Melvin Schmucker and owner Yacht Club 140 LLC. saw their 2-year-old put her lifetime earnings into six figures with the triumph, and she also posted a lifetime mark.

The other baby filly trot also saw the winner turn in a lifetime quickest clocking, with the Southwind Frank-High Heels filly Elaine T S lowering her best by a fifth with a 1:56 1/5 score. Looped early by a four-wide Bay Breeze Hanover, Elaine T S and driver George Napolitano Jr. pressed on to the lead as the crowd's choice, had the field strung out much of the way, then kept her closest rival, two-holer Bay Breeze Hanover, away by three-quarters of a length at the finish for trainer Ake Svanstedt and the partnership of Brochart Stable Inc., Ecurie Diocles AB, and Ake Svanstedt Inc.

There were also two $32,450 Liberty Bell sections for 3-year-old pacing males. Matt Kakaley also won the first section for the sophomores with Vengeance Blue Chip, putting up quick numbers of 27 1/5, 55, and 1:22 3/5 with favored Rush In right behind him and the others in the field falling back in the late stages. Vengeance Blue Chip dug in tenaciously (a tribute to trainer Joe Pavia Jr., as the Captaintreacherous gelding had had only one purse race in the last 40 days) and fended off Rush In by half a length while taking a new mark of 1:49 4/5 for the ownership of Vincent Ferriero Jr., John Whitig, Donald Kayser and Pint Size Racing LLC.

Tim Tetrick hooked up with the Stay Hungry gelding Armada Hanover to post a 1:51 1/5 victory in this group's other section. Favored Solid Character went up early but quickly got the message from the streaking Armada Hanover to find a spot along the pylons and then was not a late factor; closest at the finish was the tuck-then-first-over De La Hoya Hanover, but his bid, while solid, came up three-parts of a length shy. Brett Pelling conditions the winner for David McDuffee, Rojan Stables, and Pelling Racing LLC.

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A $15,000 event was carded for the fastest overnight trotters at Philly, and the Bar Hopping gelding Keg Stand surmounted the outermost post with good gate speed, taking his field coast-to-coast while fighting off favored potential pocket rocket Mississippi Storm by one length in 1:52 2/5. Todd McCarthy had the drive behind the winner of $682,798 for trainer Nick Devita and the ownership of David Hamm and EVM Racing LLC.

The distaff fast-class pace was also worth $15,000, and in it the Four Starzzz Shark mare Elektra A beat out her stablemate, pace-setting favorite Talk Curdy To Me, coming up the inside from the pocket to tally for driver Corey Callahan in 1:51 1/5, with a neck separating the barnmates at the finish. 75% of the purse went to trainer Jeff Cullipher and Pollack Racing LLC.

A $14,000 fast-class pace for males saw Da Delightful, a son of Bettor's Delight, get moved to the lead early by driver David Miller, then stay clear of grinding chalk I Did It MyWay by a length in a 1:50 4/5 mile with identical back quarters of 27 2/5. Mark Silva owns and trains the winner of $476,695.

Honors among the horsemen for the night were the triples for George Napolitano Jr. and Tim Tetrick on the driving side, allowing Napolitano to retain a two-win margin over Tetrick atop the local colony. Matt Kakaley, the leading driver at Pocono, had the only other sulky double. On the training side, Jeff Cullipher, who is second in the conditioners' win standings at both Philly and Pocono, had a triple, and Ake Svanstedt had a double. Two of Cullipher's winners were driven by Tetrick, and both of Svanstedt's successes were handled by Napolitano.

Racing resumes at Philly on Sunday at 12:40 p.m., with sophomore trotting colts and 2-year-old pacing fillies in the Liberty Bell spotlight. Thursday afternoon racing at 12:25 rejoins the Harrah's regular schedule this coming week.

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