Harrah's Philadelphia: PaSS splits won by Dearly Beloved, Highlandstarbust

There was no sophomore trotting filly adding a second Pennsylvania Sire Stakes credit to her resume when two divisions of the third preliminary round were raced at Harrah's Philadelphia on Friday afternoon; in fact, both winners had most recently competed in the Stallion Series division of the Pennsylvania program.

The quicker winner was the Greenshoe filly Dearly Beloved, who has victories in the PA Stallion Series, the Currier & Ives, and now the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes in her last three starts after lowering her mark to 1:53 1/5 in this $51,683 division. Dearly Beloved was moved uncovered at the half by driver David Miller, and the game filly, now six-for-nine on the year, trotted her own back-half in 55 4/5 to go past pace-setting favorite Hangover by 1 1/2 lengths for trainer Jenny Melander and owner Donald Bartling.

The "uncovered horse catching and defeating the front-stepping chalk by 1 1/2 lengths" scenario was repeated in the second division of the Sire Stake, worth $52,083; here it was Highlandstarburst, a daughter of Father Patrick, overcoming the rough journey under Yannick Gingras's handling to go past leader Payback Moni to win in a lifetime-best 1:53 2/5; her own back numbers were 55 2/5 - 27 3/5. Trainer Nancy Takter took trotting hopples off the filly upon her arrival to her new barn, and the filly had no problems winning for Highland Thoroughbred Farm.

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In the only $20,000 division of Stallion Series action for this group, the International Moni filly Seal The Deal AS dropped down from the Sire Stakes and was much the best in her field, winning in 1:52 4/5, a new mark, faster than either Sire Stakes division, and only three-fifths of a second off the track record. Tim Tetrick got the winner of two straight to the lead at the quarter, saw favored Tabdone behind him make a break as she started to move forward, and had an easy time of it after that, with only pocket-sitter Bay Breeze Hanover within hailing distance, and she was three lengths back at the line. A winner of two straight, Seal The Deal AS is trained by Anette Lorentzon for ACL Stuteri AB.

Last Friday trainer Ray Burt sent out the longest-priced winner of the meet, Sporty Dragon, who paid $136.20 for a $2 ticket. The crowd will catch on to Burt eventually, but it didn’t Friday – just seven days later, Burt was the conditioner behind A Stud Named Sam, who came from off a hot pace to win and return $121.20.

Burt is the only trainer to have two $50+ "bombers" in the meet, and both of his brought back over $100. A Stud Named Sam was driven by Patrick Ryder, one of only two horsemen to have a pair of $50+ winners at Philly in 2025 - the other is Johnathan Ahle, who drove Sporty Dragon! (And then later on the card Ahle grabbed the "bomber lead" back when winning with Always Trump at $54.40.) There were five $50+ horses in the first 37 days of the 2025 season, and now there have been five in the last eight, including Ahle's triple contribution.

The meet's leading driver, Tim Tetrick, led all sulky-sitters with three wins on Friday; doubles were put up by David Miller, George Napolitano Jr. and Ake Svanstedt. Svanstedt also had a pair of winners on the training side, as did Brett Pelling.

The racing week will conclude at Philly on Sunday with a 12:40 p.m. 9EDT) card; there will be a carryover of $3,381.32 into the first race Pick 4 pool.

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