Harrah's Philadelphia: Rockn Philly polishes off stakes double

Rockn Philly, a pacing daughter of A Rocknroll Dance, became the only 3-year-old filly to complete a “sweep” of the Simpson and Liberty Bell fall stakes series at Harrah’s Philadelphia, as both gaits raced two $30,000 divisions of their Liberty Bell events Friday.

Victor Kirby sent Rockn Philly right to the lead, and after reaching the quarter in 27 seconds, the pair got a breather to a 57 1/5 half. From there it was full speed ahead, with Rockn Philly coming home in a 55 4/5 back-half and a 27 4/5 final kicker to ward off pocket-sitter and favorite Alli Nui by a half-length in the 1:53 mile for trainer Jim King Jr. and the ownership of Tim Tetrick LLC. and Jo Ann Looney-King. Rockn Philly was supposed to meet another Simpson stakes winner in Trillions Hanover, but that filly was scratched sick.

Rockn Philly was the only 3-year-old pacing winner over the two days of Liberty Bell racing who was not sired by Sweet Lou, as he fathered all three divisional winners in colt action yesterday and also gets the credit for Skater Chick, who followed up her Courageous Lady score at Northfield with a 1:52 1/5 victory. Corey Callahan left but couldn’t get the lead with his favored filly until the field went under the wire the first time, but it became a lead that she would not surrender, getting a neck decision over two-holer Sweet Lucy Lou for trainer Mark Harder and the ownership of Donald Lindsey, Paul Kleinpaste, and Garth Bechtel.

On the trot, Team Orange Crush, trainer/wife Julie and driver/husband Andy, combined with the Donato Hanover filly American Kosmos to post the faster of the two trotting clockings, 1:55 1/5. Allowed to get to the half in a comfortable 58 1/5, the victorious chalk stepped up her game to hold off a long and tenacious grinding challenge by Cloud Nine Fashion. American Kronos held off her pesky foe by a neck for Marvin Katz, Al Libfeld, and Dr. David Goodrow, who saw their sophomore win for the tenth time in 18 career outings.

Julie and Andy’s nephew Marcus Miller guided the filly who took the other trotting division, the Cantab Hall filly Magical Beliefs, who parlayed a pocket trip into a strong stretch surge that saw her go by favored pace-setter Fade Into You by 1 3/4 lengths in 1:55 4/5. Magical Beliefs, who returned to the races sharp for trainer Linda Toscano after a 23-day respite, raised her lifetime bankroll to $301,857 with the triumph for Highland Green Farms, South Mountain Stables, and R-And-I Farms LLC.

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