Harrah's Philadelphia: Grand Teton terrific in 2019 debut

Diamond Creek Racing's Grand Teton ($3.60) kicked his 4-year-old campaign off with a bang, dismissing the mid-stretch challenge of double millionaire Mach It So for a 1:51 win in the $18,000 featured pace on Sunday (April 7) at Harrah's Philadelphia.

A stakes winner in 1:48 1/5 at three, the son of A Rocknroll Dance took full advantage of his class edge in the upper-level pacing event, letting Mach It So (David Miller) clear midway on the first turn before surging to the fore at the end of a 27 2/5 first quarter and pulling the pace back to a 56 1/5 half.

"I knew the move to make was going to the front," said driver Yannick Gingras.

Grand Teton remained uncontested as he picked up the tempo on the backstretch, posting a 1:23 2/5 three-quarters. Off the home turn, Gingras asked Grand Teton for a bit more pace, and the nine-time winner responded immediately. He just as easily turned aside Mach It So's pocket rally with a sixteenth to go, edging away by 2 1/2 lengths. Cruise Patrol (George Napolitano Jr.) narrowly missed second after stalking the top pair throughout.

"I asked him, but then he paced away," Gingras said of when Grand Teton faced his lone challenge of the mile. "He responded and he had some left. He raced really well."

Per Engblom trains Grand Teton, who eclipsed the half-million dollar mark in career earnings.

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