Harrah's Philadelphia: Liberty Bell stakes continue

The Liberty Bell stakes series for Pennsylvania-sired youngsters continued on Sunday afternoon at Harrah's Philadelphia, with 3-year-old trotting males and 2-year-old pacing fillies providing the action.

The first of the two cuts of the $77,000 (total purse) Liberty Bell divisions for babies produced a 1-2 finish for trainer Jim King Jr., as the Papi Rob Hanover-Paula's Best miss Pilar Hanover moved to the lead in front of the stands, got a moderate half, then darted home in 55 3/5 - 27 2/5 to be well-clear of stablemate Lyons Anitasangel at the end of the 1:53 1/5 mile. Tim Tetrick guided the winner as she added a Liberty Bell crown to her three Stallion Series triumphs for owners Jo Ann Looney-King and Paton Racing Inc.

Tetrick / King Jr. were right back in the winner's circle after the second and faster division, with the Bettor's Wish- Mcsauna miss Royally Hot after she lowered her mark to 1:51 3/5. The 2-year-old showed racing technique beyond her years as she was caught in a shuffle on the final turn as the outer tier paced past the leader, but Tetrick (whose Tim Tetrick LLC. owns the winner) was able to back her out to the two-wide flow and get her to accelerate quickly. Royally Hot, coming off a Keystone stakes victory, paced determinedly to go clear late of Beckoning Yankee, who won a three-horse photo for second ahead of Papi's Opinion (third) and Lyons Benz (another Jim King Jr. trainee).

The pair of fields of trotting males divided a $60,000 total bounty equally. First to parade back to Victory Lane was the Bar Hopping gelding Usain Hanover, who quarter-moved to command for driver Tyler Buter, trotted a middle-half of 54 3/5 to take control of the race, and won by himself in 1:53 1/5. Now a winner of half his 14 seasonal starts, Usain Hanover is trained by Nifty Norman for his own Enzed Racing Stable Inc.

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The other stake trot provided a minor upset, as Blackhawk Zette was heavily favored to record his 11th win of the year. But the Greenshoe colt Luke The Spook proved the better sophomore on the day, moving uncovered down the backstretch and easily going by the pace-setting chalk while lowering his mark to 1:53 for driver Mattias Melander, trainer/brother Marcus Melander and AM Bloodstock Inc.

Tim Tetrick had three wins on the day, George Napolitano Jr. one, which means that the two drivers who have between them won the last seventeen Philly dashwinning titles (Tetrick nine, Napolitano eight) are dead-even at 121 victories during 2024.

Thursday afternoon racing at 12:25 returns in the next live Philly card, as the track goes back to its normal fall schedule by following up with a 12:25 card Friday and a 12:40 program on Sunday.

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