Liberty Bell Stakes
CHESTER PA – The Liberty Bell stakes series got off to a fine and fast start on Friday at Harrah’s Philadelphia, as the Bar Hopping – Peace Dove colt Parola Hanover equaled the track record for two-year-old colt trotters of 1:55 while winning strongly on the engine.
Corey Callahan left the early traffic sort itself out, then moved his colt to the lead nearing the 28.1 quarter, clearing to the top and then getting a breather to a :57.4 half. There were no breathers from that point, as the winner tacked on a pair of :28.3 back quarters to defeat first-over Andoverthewinnings by 2½ lengths while matching the local standard first set by Rome Pays Off in 2019 and then equaled by Captain Corey last year.
Parola Hanover won for only the second time in the $61,000 single division event, but he has shown sharp improvement over the last month, including a neck loss to S I P in their Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Championship, and the Dave Wiest trainee now has a bankroll of $173,125 for David L Wiest Stables LLC and Edward Kimmel.
There were two $30,000 divisions of the Liberty Bell stake for freshman pacing fillies, and the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Championship winner and Consolation winner accounted for the splits. The Championship winner, the Captaintreacherous – Rideintothesunset filly Captain Cowgirl, ran her record to six-for-eight, and her earnings to $245,071, with a 1:52.2 victory. The Cowgirl set the pace with fractionals of :27.3, :56.2, and 1:23.3, then holding off a very stubborn Southwind Java by a neck for driver Victor Kirby, trainer Jim King Jr. (there seems to be no end to nice distaffs coming from his barn), and the ownership of Joanne Looney-King, Kenneth Frieder, and Tim Tetrick LLC.
The Betting Line – Robin Cruiser miss Hood Party, like the other stakes winners the crowd choice, also chose frontstepping tactics en route to a 1:53 win. Ringing up splits of :27.2, :56.3, and 1:24.2, Hood Party then had enough in her tank to defeat a resurgent Sweet Omen by a neck for driver Todd McCarthy, trainer Nifty Norman, and Pinske Stables while running her record to four-for-nine, including three of her last four.
Sunday’s feature at Philly is a $16,200 fast-class pace which sees the rail horse, Seriously Hanover, designated as the 3-1 early choice in a very competitive grouping. Liberty Bell stakes return to Harrah’s next Thursday, with three-year-old fillies of both gaits in the spotlight. Program pages are or will be available at https://www.phha.org/harrahspps.html.
Three-year-old fillies going in $30,000 divisions of the Liberty Bell stakes series, two sections for trotters and three for pacers, and only one favorite lived up to the crowd’s backing in the five divisions, where in contrast there were two good-paying longshot winners.
The one chalk that came through did so by the smallest possible margin, with the Cantab Hall filly Evening Stroll attacking pacesetter Dazzling Reign much of the backstretch and the length of the stretch, just earning the decision in the shadow of the wire over the pacesetter in 1:54.4. Tim Tetrick, who led all drivers on the day with four successes, handled the six-time seasonal winner for trainer Jim Campbell and owners Tony Holmes and Walter Zent.
The other trot featured the longest-priced stakes winner of the day, the Donato Hanover filly Kommin On Strong ($72.00), who also won by the largest margin in any of the five stakes, 1¾ lengths. Scott Zeron kept the filly away from breakers and duels in last, then found a clear path up the inside for her and she lived up to her name, trotting past everybody in 1:56, a lifetime best. Dean Collins trains the winner for the partnership of D & G Racing Stable, Arnold Witkin, and Claude Gendreau Stable Inc.
Lighting up the tote board on the pacing side was Shezafreaklikeme, who paced raw in :27 down the backside to reach contention, then worked by the favored pacesetter So Miki Hanover to win by a half-length while lowering her mark over five seconds to 1:51. The $29.00 surprise package, a daughter of Sweet Lou, was driven by Todd McCarthy for trainer Stacy Chiodo and her Chiodo Racing LLC.
Also successful in 1:51 was the Captaintreacherous filly High Minded, who also benefited from Todd McCarthy’s handling. Coming off a third in the final in the Kentucky program’s championship, High Minded moved to command early, then held a three-quarter length advantage over pocketsitting Chase Lounge at the finish. Linda Toscano trains the winner of $206,237 for Camelot Stable Inc., Fred Wallace, The Bay’s Stable LLC, and Steve Stewart.
Todd’s brother Andrew McCarthy drove the other pacing winner, the Always B Miki miss So Irresistible, who took a new mark of 1:51.1. Despite having to pace her back half in :54.2 uncovered, the sturdy miss got the job done by 1¼ lengths over Wicked Ways for trainer Bruce Saunders and owners Charles and Julie Nash.
Liberty Bell series stakes action will conclude for the year on Friday, with sophomore colts on both gaits going behind the gate. The one coming in with the biggest reputation will be the well-bred Whichwaytothebeach, coming off his fantastic 2-3 performance in the Little Brown Jug. Program pages are available at https://www.phha.org/harrahspps.html.
