Chester, PA — The racing card at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Friday afternoon (May 16) had to be delayed by a half-hour as a fierce storm passed though southeast Pennsylvania and the surface required work to restore it to safe racing shape.
Two and a quarter hours later, with the track just having been upgraded from “sloppy” to “good,” the 3-year-old Always B Miki filly Found made her seasonal debut, and she posted the fastest mile of the year here, 1:49.2, in winning the $12,000 feature for distaff pacers.
Jack Pelling got the 2025 debutante a dream trip in the three-hole as Shes A Streaker, heavy favorite after an easy win in this class last week, cut all the pace, with Verity Blue Chip, second last week, riding in the two-hole.
Shes A Streaker went sensational fractions of :27.1, :55, and 1:21.4 in the off going, but her nearest rivals stayed attached right behind her past the midpoint of the far turn.
At that point, Verity Blue Chip vacated the pocket, giving a free shot up the inside to Found. Verity Blue Chip did indeed pass the tired pacesetter, but Found found a little more than the pocket horse, finishing three-quarters of a length in front of her while producing the fantastic clocking for trainer Brett Pelling and Diamond Creek Racing.
Found won her third straight race, having taken a pair of Wildcat Series races to end her freshman campaign, but students of pedigree may have found a better reason to be tempted by the 20-1 odds offered Friday on Found: her dam is Geothermal, who, after being bred to Sweet Lou, produced the 2023 Horse of the Year Confederate. Found thus must be rated a “ceiling unknown” type right now.
In the $11,000 co-featured handicap pace for the fast-class distaffs, the Powerful Mist mare Misty Coast made two speed moves to control the pace for driver Corey Callahan, then stayed safely in front through the lane while posting a final clocking of 1:51.4 over the “good” going. Les Givens conditions the winner of $461,567 for owner Stephen Messick.
The current racing week closes on Sunday with a 12:40 p.m. starting time, with feature events for all top-level pacing classifications, and carryover into the Pick-5 beginning in race five.
A week from this Sunday is “Super Sunday” at Harrah’s Philadelphia, with three $100,000 Invitationals and the Pennsylvania-sired 3-year-old pacing males coming to town. That card will be drawn Wednesday, and a summary release of the big day will follow along thereafter.
Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.