Keim completes driving and training double in AHDC action

CHESTER, Pa.— Cote Keim bagged harness racing victories in the pair of $8,500 divisions of the American Harness Drivers Club (AHDC) Pace at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Sunday (Nov. 1).

Keim scored first with a pillar-to-post performance by Part Time Affair in a 1:53.2 mile. Leaving from post 6, Keim swept past 1-2 favorite Bell Of Lazarus (driven by Yogi Sheridan) to take the lead to a :27.3 first quarter before slowing the tempo to a :56.3 half. He then accelerated in the backstretch towards three-quarters in 1:24.4 and had enough in reserve for the stretch drive to stave off Bell Of Lazarus’s pocket bid by three-quarter lengths. Wilsons Vinner (Jacob Fox) followed the top pair around for third and Sunshine’s Finest (William Clark Jr.) closed for fourth.

PART TIME AFFAIR REPLAY

Part Time Affair competes for owner Michelle Rickey and trainer Cote Keim. The 7-year-old gelding by Heston Blue Chip-Part Time Lady paid $9 to win.

A few races later, Keim nabbed both a driving and training double when swooping the field with 8-5 chalk Purple Wayne to win the other AHDC Pace division in a 1:56 mile. Keim settled his charge into sixth out of post 7 as Uncle Coz (William Clark Jr.) and parked Shady Lane Luck (Jacob Fox) duked on the lead through a :27.3 first quarter and :56.2 half. Keim tipped Purple Wayne off the pegs nearing the half and then lifted three wide as first-up It’ll Be Alright (Yogi Sheridan) fronted a swarm overtaking Uncle Coz. Purple Wayne kept grinding wide through three-quarters in 1:25.3 and surged to the lead in the lane while pulling clear for a 2-3/4-length win. Stolen Art (Jake Leamon), the longest shot on the board, rallied from last for second while It’ll Be Alright gave chase in third and pocket-popping No Stranger To Me (Paul Minore) tired to fourth.

PURPLE WAYNE REPLAY

Purple Wayne, a 3-year-old gelding by Perfect Sting-Dolphins Can Talk, competes for owner Roni Vandervort. He paid $5.40 to win.

Anthony Verruso took the lone $10,000 division of the AHDC Trot held at Pocono Downs on Saturday (Oct. 31) when ripping off a pocket ride with Big Limo to win in a 1:56.2 mile. Verruso pushed to the lead through a :28.1 first quarter but yielded command to outside pressing Empire Builder (Jacob Fox) passing the grandstand for the first time. Big Limo followed snugly from second through a :57.4 half and 1:27.2 three-quarters before attacking in the stretch and springing away from his rivals for a two-length win. Empire Builder gave pursuit from second with Certify (Mike Polansky) following from third and Cal Miles N Shell (John Calabrese) back in fourth.

Veronica Spicer trains Big Limo for owner Peter Kleinhans. The 6-year-old gelding by What The Hill-Hundred Acre Cab paid $4.60 to win.

AHDC action resumes with trotting divisions on Saturday (Nov. 7) at Pocono Downs. First-race post time is 1 p.m. (EST).

 

For complete race results, click here: US Trotting results.

by Ray Cotolo, for AHDC