It was a battle between Rockin Image geldings Sunday, November 8 at Harrah’s Philadelphia. The two geldings were one-two the entire way with Avanti and George Napolitano Jr. earning the win in the $7,500 conditioned pace.
Avanti began from post three, right beside his fellow Indiana pacer Certifiable, driven by Johnathan Ahle from post two. When the gate opened, Certifiable had a bit of an edge on Avanti to get to the lead with Easy Lou and Troy Beyer sitting right to their back. That left Avanti on the outside and the option to become the leader. However, Certifiable didn’t make it easy on him, keeping him parked past the quarter in :26.4. Heading by the grandstand the first time Avanti crossed over and was able to back the pace down some to the half in :56.0, getting a breather before the pace picked up in the second half of the race.
Ante Up Hanover and Todd Schadel had been parked the entire mile and began trying to move up on the outside as a challenger to the top two. However, in the final turn, he began to tire, causing horses behind him to go three and four wide to try and close the gap ion Avanti and Certifiable.
In the stretch, Certifiable had plenty of room to maneuver, but Avanti had a big final kick that placed him four lengths in front of Certifiable at the wire, a final quarter paced in :28.2. Haggard and Jack Pelling, who picked up the drive late on the second longest shot on the board, finished third.
Avanti paid $2.40 for the win. The four-year-old Rockin Image gelding is owned by Evans Nation, Engblom Farm, JR Ryan, and Collin Ryan. Petter Engblom trains the gelding, who was bred by Jake Schwartz and Pond-A-Acres.
It was the third win of the year for Avanti, who began his career at Harrah’s Hoosier Park for trainer Missy Essig. The was a sires stakes contender at two and three before heading to the East Coast about a year ago. To date, he has nine wins from 53 starts and holds a career best time of 1:50.1 taken at Harrah’s Hoosier Park as a three-year-old. He now has more than $300,000 in earnings.
A little later in the card, the third round of the American Harness Drivers Club was held and former Indiana participant Jacob Fox drove Indiana sired Shady Lane Luck to a second place finish in the $8,500 event. The duo sat in third most of the race before getting to the outside and closing for second place to San Jose and James Slendorn in 1:56.2. Shady Lane Luck finished one and one-quarter lengths back in second and just a nose ahead of It’ll Be Alright and N. Yogi Sheridan for third.
Shady Lane Luck is trained by Jacob Fox. The seven-year-old Luck Be Withyou gelding is also owned by Fox. Overall, the gelding has 11 wins and more than $80,000 in earnings with a career best time of 1:51.0 taken as a three-year-old. He was unraced at two. Fox has owned him since the end of his five-year-old year.
