Simpson Stakes at Harrah's Philadelphia
CHESTER PA – The annual stand of the John Simpson Sr. Memorial stakes series, honoring the Hall of Fame horseman and executive, got underway on Sunday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia. The first group to be featured was the two-year-old pacing colts, competing in two $46,100 divisions of a race named the Bret Hanover, since all the Simpson Stakes carry a subname of a horse that was associated with Simpson throughout his long and storied career.
The faster of the two winners was Just Bet It All, who lowered his mark to 1:51.3 in rein to Corey Callahan for Philly’s top trainer Per Engblom and the ownership of Zippett Racing Stable, Evan Katz, and Amos Lengacher. A gelded son of Betting Line – Just Fine, Just Bet It All moved to the lead after a :27 opener and was in control of the situation through fractions of :56 and 1:23.3 en route to a 5¼ length triumph over Mac’s Delight. Favored Voukefalas, the winner of the NJSS final, an Arden Downs division, and a rich NJ Classic-A event, evidently needed the race after having competed only once July 30; having dull cover didn’t help him, but he didn’t show his previous kick in finishing fourth here.
Also enjoying Simpson stakes success on Sunday at Philly was the Captaintreacherous – KJ’s Justine colt Ken Hanover, a 1:53.4 winner. Marcus Miller and his favored colt followed a similar style of tactics as did Just Bet It All: be moving near the :28 opening quarter, take over for good in front of the stands, post fractions of :57.3 and 1:26.3, and then sprint home in :27.1, 2¼ lengths to the good of Captain Mikey. Rollie “Pollie” Mallar trains the winner, and he is the co-owner with Patrick Leavitt, William Jordan, and Dennis Osterholt.
Trainer Noel Daley and driver Andrew McCarthy combined to win two of three divisions of the $104,100 Super Bowl, the John Simpson Sr. Memorial stake for two-year-old trotting colts on Thursday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
One of their winners was the Chapter Seven – Lass A Rope colt Volume Eight, who missed the divisional Philly record by only a tick with his 1:54.3 front-end effort. The big favorite, coming off a Lexington Grand Circuit win and four of six lifetime, was extended by pocketsitter Father Stosh, but he remained a half length to the good at the wire for the partnership of Daley, Joe Sbrocco, LA Express & JAF Racing, and Mario Mazza while just missing the standard put in by Once In A Lifetime in winning his Sire Stakes championship on September 4.
McCarthy/Daley also clicked in the Super Bowl/Simpson with Squared Away, the Cantab Hall – K Squared Hanover colt who sat in the pocket most of the way, pulled out going to the far turn, and went on to be a handy 2¾ length winner while reducing his mark to 1:55.3. Squared Away has now won three straight starts for Morrison Racing Stables.
The other Simpson section produced a “toteboard bomber” as Met Your Request, a gelding by Met’s Hall – Quest Blue Chip, tailed the cover of 2-5 favorite Kimmeridgian through the last half, then went wide and just caught that rival by a neck while taking a new mark of 1:56 and paying $67.40 to win. Tyler Miller drove the three-time winner for trainer/mother Julie and the ownership of Andy Miller Stable Inc. and Mr. Caroll Hoffman.
It was an unusual Friday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia, as most of the feature races, including the two divisions of the $93,200 Razzle Hanover, the John Simpson Sr. Memorial stake for two-year-old pacing fillies, were taken by horses coming from well off the pace on the normally speed-favoring track.
The Always B Miki – Emily Car filly Extreme Z Tam was reserved along the inside in the first Razzle Hanover/Simpson division by trainer/driver Pat Lachance, then came closing strongly up the open stretch, pacing her own last quarter in :27 to catch the pacesetter favorite Ginger Tree Coco by a neck. The winning time of 1:53.3 was perforce a lifetime race mark since it was the first purse victory for Extreme Z Tam, who is owned by Lachance, M & M Harness Racing LLC, and Royal Flush Stable LLC.
Also winning a purse race for the first time in her career was the Sweet Lou – Luvthebeachlife miss IIluvloucy, who was still last at headstretch, but who made up four lengths in the stretch for driver Corey Callahan to catch the first-over favorite Falana Hanover by half a length in 1:54.1. Travis Alexander conditions the filly for M Spacc Stables, Fiddler’s Creek Stables LLC, D’Elegance Stable IX and T L P Stable.
Åke Svanstedt, who spent his weekend in Toronto, winning two Breeders Crown elimination races and qualifying three others for this weekend’s $6M+ Championships, promptly came back to Harrah’s Philly on Sunday afternoon and won the two divisions of the $106,600 Davidia Hanover, the John Simpson Sr. Memorial stake for two-year-old trotting fillies, both via the uncovered route.
First to parade back to the winners circle with trainer/driver Svanstedt was Wild Jiggy S, a daughter of International Moni – Hot Mess Hanover who broke her maiden with a 1:55.2 victory. There were three horses across at the finish, with Wild Jiggy S getting the decision by a neck over pacesetting Ruth Honig, with favorite and pocketsitter Park Slope coming up the inside only to be another head back at the finish. Wild Jiggy S, a half-sister to Breeders Crown elim winner Jiggy Jog S, is owned by Jorgen Sparradal Inc.
The road to the winners circle was not nearly as difficult for Svanstedt and Pure Hope S, a foreign-bred daughter of Brillantissime – Final Hope, blitzing right by going into the far turn when moving uncovered and drawing away to a 6 3/4 length triumph in 1:54.4. Perry Soderberg owns the winner of three out of seven in her brief career.
A rank outsider and a heavy favorite won the two divisions of the $86,800 Albatross, the John Simpson Sr. Memorial stake for three-year-old pacing males, at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Thursday afternoon.
The racing week opened with a 30-1 shot in the very first race both last Thursday and this: Rocknroll Gold, a gelded son of A Rocknroll Dance, was able to utilize the rail to sit in the pocket behind Bloodhound’s fractions of :26.2, :54.2, and 1:21.4, then came up the inside for driver Art Stafford Jr. and caught the pacesetter by 1¼ lengths in a new mark of 1:50.4; favored Pleaseletmeknow, the NYSS champion, never got going and finished fourth. Rocknroll Gold, a winner of $147,972, is trained by Ed Gannon Jr. for Zippett Racing Stable.
Chalkplayers were rewarded for their 1-5 support of the Captaintreacherous gelding Energetic Hanover, who had rewritten his mark to 1:50 in winning his last start, and then lowered it again by a tick here. Energetic Hanover laid off fractions of :26.3 and :55.1 set by Layton Hanover, moved uncovered to challenge that one by the 1:22.3 three-quarters, then continued on strongly in the lane to leave the pacesetter 3½ lengths in arrears at the wire. Todd McCarthy drove the winner, unraced at two but now an earner of $164,139 for trainer Brett Pelling and owner David Mc Duffee, Melvin Hartman, Steven Arnold, and Paul Bordogna.
