Super Duper Cooper pounces from the pocket

CHESTER PA – The E L Titan gelding Super Duper Cooper sat in the pocket during the “Trottin’ Thursday” $16,000 handicap event for the top-quality diamondgaiters at Harrah’s Philadelphia, was able to adjust to whatever tempo Little Expensive set, and then came on in the stretch to go past the pacesetter by three quarters of a length in 1:53.

SUPER DUPER COOPER REPLAY

Super Duper Cooper left for the top early then yielded to Little Expensive as that one carried on to the quarter in :28.1, then got a big-time breather to reach the half in :58.4. With favored Hey Porter (a stablemate of Super Duper Cooper) coming on raw down the backstretch, Little Expensive summoned a :26.3 third quarter to keep control, reaching the three quarters in 1:25.2. And even though the leader could add on a :27.4 last quarter, completing his own back half in :54.2 (which would be enough to win many races of this kind), Super Duper Cooper just stayed connected in the pocket then moved out and completed his own last half in :54, which proved to be more than enough to take this harness racing contest.

George Napolitano Jr. had the drive behind Super Duper Cooper, who now has won $554,772 and five of his last seven starts, for trainer Enrico Robinson and Pollack Racing LLC.

The $13,000 second-level fast-class trot also produced another pocket rocket as Kierkegaard K, a $449,499-winning son of Chapter Seven, rode the two-hole behind fractions of :27, :56.4, and 1:25.3, then moved to the inside for driver-trainer Åke Svanstedt and methodically trotted to the fore to register a victory in 1:54.3. Despite being away from the races for 35 days, the trotter was well-prepared by Svanstedt and ready to go for Knutsson Trotting Inc.

Trotters on the way up the classladder contested a $13,500 race, and this one was also taken by the newly-voted Hall of Famer Svanstedt, who put a new mark of 1:54 on the heavily favored Create Escape. The victorious son of Gimpanzee had to surmount the difficult tuck-then-first-over trip, but he powered his own back half in :55.2 to be a decisive winner for the Create Escape Stable.

In all driver-trainer Åke Svanstedt had three wins in each category. The only other doubler on the day was driver George Napolitano Jr., first home twice.

2024 Harness Horse of the Year Twin B Joe Fresh comes to Harrah’s Philadelphia on Friday afternoon for the 12:25 card, starting from the outside in the field of seven in the $16,000 distaff headliner; there will also be a carryover into the first race Pick Four wager. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

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

From the PHHA / Harrah’s Philadelphia