Harrah's Philadelphia: Sophomore pacing colts prep for stakes in Tuesday qualifiers

Many of the horse vans coming to Harrah’s Philadelphia for Tuesday morning qualifiers contained stakes horses looking to solidify their racing preparations for their upcoming sophomore campaigns, and upon going home many of their connections must have thought “Mission Accomplished.”

There were four winners from among the glamour division, the 3-year-old pacing males, and the quickest winner was the Papi Rob Hanover colt Al Papi, 3-2 in the Breeders Crown and with a mark of 1:48 1/5. Yannick Gingras moved the talented sophomore to the lead in front of the stands and Al Papi smoked home in 54 3/5 – LQ in 27 to win handily in 1:52 4/5 for trainer Ron Burke.

Another prize pupil of Burke’s, the Stay Hungry colt Frantic Hanover, earned a single-season record $288,504 in Pennsylvania Sire Stakes action last year and later missed just half a length to Beau Jangles in the Metro. On Tuesday “Frantic” came first-over and paced his back numbers in 55 1/5 – 27 1/5 on the rim to win for driver Tim Tetrick in 1:56.

The Captaintreacherous colt Captain Apple, a double stakes winner in Kentucky last year, won his first appearance of 2026 in 1:54 2/5, turning back another Burkeite, Melillo (second in the Governor’s Cup and third in the Breeders Crown) for the son-father driver-trainer team of Patrick and Chris Ryder.

Driver Scott Zeron and trainer Nancy Takter, who led their categories by teaming for three wins, tallied with the Sweet Lou gelding Louaville, downing Delaware champion Watch Em Win on the engine in 1:53 4/5, which was also the fastest time among the pacing females.

Another offspring of Sweet Lou, Caviart Daisy, a Virginia champion and also good in Kentucky, succeeded for driver Tony Morgan and trainer Jamie Sullivan. Team Ryder had another winner in the Bettor’s Wish miss Bettor Be A Star, who came uncovered while posting back splits of 55 1/5 – 27 2/5 to tally in 1:57.

Another Pennsylvania Sire Stakes champion, Ginger Tree Lex, was seven-for-eight last season, and she won her first appearance of 2026 in 1:56 4/5, coming raw from last while going her own back numbers of 56 3/5 – 28 1/5 for driver Andrew McCarthy and trainer Steven Cook. Bar Hopping misses swept this division when Caviart Queen Emma was victorious in 1:57 4/5 for Team Zeron/Takter.

The lone 3-year-old trotting male winner in the qualifiers was the Captain Corey colt Jim Beam, who sat back off a slow pace early, then came uncovered and stepped home swiftly in 55 2/5 to stop the timer in 1:58 1/5 for driver Tim Tetrick and trainer Scott DiDomenico.

The Philly qualifiers can be seen on www.phha.org.

-edited release (Philadelphia/PHHA)