Harrah's Philadelphia: Stakes hopefuls qualify on Tuesday

At Harrah's Philadelphia, the stars come out on Tuesday morning, as returning veterans and sophomore alike were impressive in their qualifying races.

The best-known of the stars is the Captaintreacherous mare Lyons Sentinel, 2019 champion freshman, winner of $1,236,361, and one of only two horses to finish ahead of Party Girl Hill (second behind Peaky Sneaky in the 2020 Breeders Crown). Here she came from midpack in 55 2/5 - 27 3/5 to win by a nose over Rose Run Victoria for driver Tim Tetrick (a four-time winner at the Qs) and trainer Jim King Jr. in 1:55 4/5.

The fastest qualifier was the 1:53 2/5 victory put up by Save Me A Dance, a 4-year-old son of Heston Blue Chip who held off his Andrew Harris stablemate Gardys Legacy A, making his first Stateside start, by a nose for David Miller (a three-time winner in the morning). Third in that race was the 2019 Little Brown Jug champion Southwind Ozzi.

On the trot, Take All Comers, a Creatine sophomore gelding and half-brother to Next Level Stuff, qualified seven days ago in 2:00 2/5, but today he showed "next level stuff" by rallying for a victory in 1:55. David Miller drove the promising 3-year-old for trainer Jim Campbell, the only trainer who have a double during the session.

Big Oil, a son of Father Patrick who set a world record for a dead-heat in a trot with his 1:52 1/5 effort at 2, returned for his 4-year-old season in good form, making every pole a winning one in 1:56 1/5 for the wife/husband team of trainer Julie and driver Andy Miller.

Three three-year-old pacers of some North American note successful on Tuesday morning were: Heart Of Mine, a Roll With Joe filly second in her NYSS championship, who scored in 1:56 1/5, with her own last half in 55 2/5 for driver Corey Callahan and trainer Linda Toscano; the Art Major gelding King James Express, the winner of his NYSS event, who won in 1:56 1/5 -- 56 3/5 for driver David Miller and trainer Mark Harder; and an altered son of Somebeachsomewhere (and three-quarter brother to Captain Barbossa) Whichwaytothebeach, a 1:51 1/5f winner at 2 and successful here in 1:54, with a 55 1/5 back half on the engine for driver Andrew McCarthy and trainer Brett Pelling (One to watch coming out of that last race is Curbside Pickup, unraced at 2 and acquiring his first racing line, who came his own backside fractions in 54 2/5 -- 26 1/5 to be second.)

-edited release (Harrah's Philadelphia/PHHA)