Trainer Travis Alexander has seen his stable swell over the years, with young horses adding to a long list of overnight success stories. On Sunday afternoon his stable will be well-represented on the Harrah's Philadelphia program that includes four high-level stakes events for older horses and the third leg of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes for 3-year-old colt and gelding pacers. Alexander has Desperate Man in the $100,000 Joe Auger Memorial, and the gifted 6-year-old son of Shadow Play enters the event in brilliant form, having won an Invitational Pace at Yonkers just six days earlier in 1:50 4/5 over the half-mile track. Desperate Man landed the rail in the Auger (race 13), but Alexander wasn't elated with the draw. "For any other horse it would be great," said Alexander. "He's not that quick into the turn, but I'm not complaining." A winner in five of his six starts this year for Alexander, Desperate Man breezed through the preliminaries of the MGM Borgata Pacing Series at Yonkers only to get parked the entire mile in the rich final and still miraculously finish third. "I thought after that race he would need a week to recuperate," said Alexander, "But he was back after a couple of days." Matt Kakaley has been the regular pilot behind Desperate Man, and he'll be in the bike Sunday to face a solid field of eight that includes the wickedly-fast Ruthless Hanover (post five), as well as last year's Breeders Crown champion Bythemissal, making his first start of the year for trainer Ron Burke. Bythemissal, following a pair of qualifiers at the Meadowlands, landed post eight for his 5-year-old debut. The Auger could be another speed show for Ruthless Hanover. The 7-year-old by Somebeachsomewhere made his 2024 debut in style, going wire-to-wire over this surface in 1:47 1/5 a week earlier (May 19) for trainer Tom Cancelliere and driver Andrew McCarthy. Ruthless Hanover captured last year's Auger Memorial in 1:46 3/5. ► Check out Derick Giwner's full card analysis for Sunday at Harrah's Philadelphia! A pair of last year's better 3-year-olds received Auger invites, with Ken Hanover (post three) and Voukefalas (post four) meeting older foes. Coaches Corner (post seven) has blossomed this year for trainer Per Engblom with 10 first- or second-place finishes in 12 starts, including a personal-best 1:49 3/5 mile taken on May 11 at the Meadowlands. Jacks Shadow N (post two) and Hemsworth N (post six) round out the octet. Backstreet Shadow also drew the pole for Alexander in the $50,000 #Senditin Philadelphia Invitational carded as race 14. "I thought he went a very big trip last Saturday at the Meadowlands," said Alexander. "It wasn't Tim's [Tetrick] intent to set the pace, but once he got the front, he was left cutting the mile. "He's just an incredible horse." Backstreet Shadow cut out a 1:48 mile, only to be overtaken by a pair near the wire. He faces the red-hot Maximus Miki, who was the winner in last week's contest after coming overland for Andrew McCarthy. Maximus Miki drew post three in the field. The $100,000 Maxie Lee Invitational (race 12) drew eight horses with a well-matched field that includes Venerate (post four), Dover In Motion (post five) and last year's Maxie Lee winner Hillexotic (post two) among the favorites. Trainer Jim Campbell also sends out Take All Comers (post three), a winner at Yonkers on May 16, hoping to improve upon his fifth-place finish in last year's Maxie Lee. Amigo Volo (post one), Benjamin Hanover (post six), Caviar Gold (post seven) and Emerald's Legacy (post eight) round out the field. ► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter The Betsy Ross (race 11) is a $100,000 Invitational for pacing mares, and it figures to be a highly-competitive contest. Blue Chip Matchmaker champion Lit De Rose (post five) has won six of her 11 starts this year for trainer-driver Pat Lachance. She'll meet likely the strongest group she's faced this year with Twin B Joe Fresh (post three) and Always B Naughty (post four), a pair of top-flight 4-year-old mares directly to her inside. Twin B Joe Fresh raced male competition in her 4-year-old debut on May 19 and finished a solid second for co-owner and driver Dexter Dunn. Always B Naughty has been racing at Oak Grove in Kentucky Sire Stakes competition for trainer Nancy Takter and was second in the $100,000 final on May 13. Completing the field for the Betsy Ross are Coachellabound N (post one), Tony's Mom (post two), Zanatta (post six), Dougs Babe A (post seven) and Sweet Amira (post eight), a recent purchase by trainer Ron Burke and his ownership group. Three divisions in the third round of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes are carded as races four, eight and 10 on the program, with the $51,657 tenth race division likely to produce the most fireworks as Breeders Crown one-two finishers Gem Quality and Captain Albano face each other for the first time in over six months. Gem Quality (post five) and Captain Albano (post six) both captured a division in the second leg of the Sire Stakes last Saturday (May 18) at Pocono. Alexander will send out Sweet Beach Life (post three) in this division. The Sweet Lou-sired gelding was also a Sire Stakes winner at Pocono in a career best 1:50 4/5 clocking. "He's a tough horse to handle on the racetrack," said Alexander of Sweet Beach Life. "Matt [Kakaley] and I have been trying to manage him to behave and last week's race was his best this year." While Alexander was happy with his horse's performance, he couldn't help but notice the competition. "That's a pair of top colts he's up against," said Alexander. The Sunday Harrah's Philadelphia program also includes a series of $20,000 divisions of the Pennsylvania Stallion Series for 3-year-old colt and gelding pacers among the 16 races on the program with a first post time slated for 12:40 p.m. EDT.