All victories are memorable, but one of the three triumphs in the $12,600 features at Harrah’s Philadelphia Friday afternoon may stand out a little bit more for one driver.
Michel Heijnen, a horseman from The Netherlands who usually drives only his own small stable of trotters (his previous catch-drive was four years ago), picked up the mount behind a three-year-old filly from trainer Luc Blais and owner Determination – Viva La Deo, a daughter of Somebeachsomewhere out of the $2.2M-winning Rocklamation, a $200,000 yearling. And this was his first-ever drive (in North America, anyway) behind a pacer!
But ignoring all that and any pressure from 3-5 favouritism, Heijnen placed Viva La Deo right behind Ideal In Miracles through fractions of :27.2, :57.4, and 1:25.2, then wheeled her out in the stretch and got the decision by the smallest possible margin in 1:54.2 for the memorable triumph.
Betterthanthebeach, a $250,000 yearling who had a total of six starts at two and three while showing promise, was sold after his three-year-old year, and he continued to show real talent for his new connections Friday, winning the $12,600 tri-feature at Harrah’s Philadelphia that was devoted to pacing males.
A son of Somebeachsomewhere who is the first foal out of My Little Delight, whose dam was the $2.3M-winning world champion My Little Dragon, Betterthanthebeach followed cover for driver Andrew McCarthy (a five-time winner on the day) then made a big three-wide move on the final turn and drew away from overmatched opposition to win in 1:51.3. He is 3-for-4 this season, took a mark of 1:51 at Pocono, and gives every indication he’ll be able to handle class rises for trainer Tony Alagna and the ownership of 4 Leaf Racing.
The popular $12,600 features for developing younger horses drew four divisions of promising trotters and pacers on a hot Wednesday (June 30) at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
Distaff pacers got the card started with a 1:51.4 mile, and at the finish everyone knew that McCarthy had driven the winner – but was it Todd or Andrew? The photo showed it was the Somebeachsomewhere sophomore filly Beach Crazy and Todd McCarthy who rallied up the inside to get a nose advantage over favored Nashville Elgenna and brother Andrew. Beach Crazy lowered her mark a tick for trainer Stacy Chiodo, whose Chiodo Racing LLC co-owns the in-form filly with Jeffery Shore and Robert Barr.
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The third highest-priced trotting yearling of 2019 didn t make an on-track appearance as a freshman but made his sophomore debut in style on Friday (April 2) at The Meadowlands.
The Nancy Takter-trained Really Fast, a $700,000 purchase at the Lexington Select Yearling Sale, did not disappoint as the 1-9 favourite in a non-winners of two on the trot, winning his first career start from off the pace in 1:55 for driver Yannick Gingras.
The three-year-old son of Muscle Hill-Stubborn Belle moved to the outside from the four-hole at the half and steadily made up ground on the leaders around the far turn, and went on to an easy 2-1/2-length win when leader Light Blue Movers went off stride during the stretch drive.