Harrah's Philadelphia: Secret Agent Man shines with fast qualifier

At a time of year when many stakes 3-year-olds are making their way back to the racetrack, it was the more seasoned performers who made the best showings during Tuesday morning qualifiers at Harrah’s Philadelphia.

Shining the brightest by far was the Chapter Seven 4-year-old gelding Secret Agent Man, who flew around the racetrack in 27 4/5, 55 4/5, and 1:23 en route to a final time of 1:51 1/5, which must be close to the fastest trotting qualifier ever on a 5/8-mile track. The time is also a tick faster than the Philly divisional race record set last year by Benjamin Hanover.

Last year, Secret Agent Man had a “good then break” pattern – three seconds in the preliminaries of the top Kentucky program, then a miscue in the final; a Bluegrass winner, then a breaker in the Kentucky Futurity; second in his Breeders Crown elimination, but then again misbehaving in the final. His connections – driver Andy Miller, trainer Julie Miller, and the partnership of Andy Miller Stable Inc., Plouffe Racing, Patrick Hoopes, and Knutsson Trotting Inc. -- are obviously hoping for improved behavior from their horse, as he has shown he has the speed of a free-for-aller.

Three older performers tied for fastest pace honors at 1:53 1/5 – two easy winners, and one who got a good scare late. Stonecoldtreachery, who won in 1:50 2/5 here last year, won Tuesday, but keep an eye on Fusion (Always B Miki - Pure Country), who hadn’t raced since the Governor’s Cup but zoomed home uncovered in 54 1/5-27 to miss just a neck.

Of the other 1:53 1/5 winners, one was Sabonis, a son of Tellitlikeitis, a 16-race winner while taking a mark of 1:48 2/5 last year, including 13 straight victories and the Milstein in his only appearance outside Indiana. He came home in 27 2/5 debuting for Team Pelling.

The other was Oakwood Ardan IR, an import from across the Atlantic who is part of the white-hot Robert Cleary barn. He rose through the ranks last year and got all the way to third in the Canadian Pacing Derby and also a 1:48 2/5 victory at The Meadowlands on Hambletonian Day. On Tuesday he sparkled during a 27 3/5 kicker.

The Philly qualifiers can be seen at www.phha.org (Secret Agent Man was race ten).

-edited release (PHHA/Philadelphia)