Harrah's Philadelphia: Tetrick fends off Napolitano Jr. for driving title

Tim Tetrick did the "driving championship double" - posting the highest win total and best UDR - at Harrah's Philadelphia for the third consecutive season, but an old rival made things interesting in the first category as the southeast Pennsylvania track closed out its 2024 season with a twilight Tuesday card.

Tetrick, who took down his tenth sulky win crown at Philly, last drove at Harrah's on Friday, December 20, and when he left he was 19 victories ahead. But familiar foe George Napolitano Jr., who himself has eight Philly top spots for win, came on with a furious late rush, winning 17 times over the last handful of cards, including four times on Tuesday, coming up shy by a 177-175 margin. (Harrah's has raced 19 seasons now; Cat Manzi was leading driver in the opening year of 2006, and no one with initials other than "TT" or "GN" has since led the year's win totals, a remarkable streak of consistency).

Tetrick also added his 11th Philly UDR championship to his collection, posting a fine "batting average" of .382.

The Philadelphia-area weather turned nasty midcard Tuesday despite remaining in the 50-degree range, and the features, late in the card, were thus denied the chance to show peak speed. But the two feature winners figured out that the front-end might be tough to overhaul, and that proved the case.

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The $15,000 fast-class feature pace was taken by the Always A Virgin gelding Virgo, who covered the mile in a quick 1:50 2/5 considering the conditions. Now showing a 7-4-3-0 recent record while taking his 1:49 mark in the initial victory, Virgo has the invaluable asset of being able to leave the gate quickly, and from post three driver Jim Pantaleano had no other thought than the front-end, rolling on to sharp fractions of 26 1/5, 54 2/5 and 1:22 3/5. Moment Is Here looked to be a major danger in the stretch, but Virgo had enough to put in a 27 4/5 final quarter and hold off the pocket-sitter by a neck for trainer Darren Taneyhill and the partnership of Mark Jakubik and Jason Darling.

The $13,000 sub-feature pace saw the Irish-bred, Robert Cleary-trained Oakwood Paddy make two moves to control the pace for driver Brett Beckwith, then withstand extended grinding pressure from Be Dazzled Lou A to win by a length in 1:51 3/5, coming his back-half in 55 seconds. The Foreclosure N gelding, 21-for-54 lifetime, is owned by Robert Corrigan and Ruari McNulty.

Live racing is scheduled to resume at Harrah's Philadelphia on Friday, April 11, 2025.

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