CHESTER PA – Pocketsitting Southport Beach avoided a breaking pacesetter nearing the stretch and came through to a 1:52.3 victory in the $12,000 claiming handicap pacing feature Sunday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
Southpoint Beach went to the lead early for driver Troy Beyer and got to the front in :26.3, but then a host of challengers came on in the second quarter: Cliffhanger, who had gotten to the top nearing the second turn; Rickybobbynthehaus, who moved with that one’s cover but then was stuck first-over at and past the :55.4 half; and Jaffa Josh N, a winner in this class last week and here second-over. Cliffhanger and Rickybobbynthehaus battled past the 1:23.1 quarter, and it was mid-far turn that Cliffhanger lost gait and was taken inside. Beyer kept Southport Beach out of major danger and then outfooted “Rickybobby” by 1½ lengths in winning for trainer Marc Mosher and owner Jerry Zollo.
There were five pacing divisions of American Harness Drivers Club action for amateur drivers, and there was a story in every one: Chris Temming guiding his own Wardan Express N to a lifetime mark of 1:51.1 while recording only his second driving triumph; Tony Beltrami scoring a driving double with Safensound Hanover and Secrecy; Frank Tsipouras lighting up the board with Cruise Patrol at $63.60; and two-time national Amateur Driver of the Year Dean Spriggs tallying with Far Better. In an AHDC trot, River Otter repeated his successful wire-to-wire tactics at Pocono last week with a 1:56.1 engine win for driver Bob Hechkoff.
Racing will resume at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Wednesday afternoon with a 12:25 p.m. post time. Program pages will be available at https://www.phha.org/harrahspps.html.