Chester, PA — The 2021 racing season at Harrah’s Philadelphia will open with a 12-race card on Friday (April 2), which will begin at 12:25 p.m.

The richest purse race on the day is the last event on the program, a $12,800 pace for up-and-coming male horses. Father Nuno, who qualified in 1:53.3 last Friday, will be looking to make up for lost time as he returns from a 497-day layoff after finishing second to Papi Rob Hanover in the 2019 Governor’s Cup. He will start from post four for driver George Napolitano Jr, trainer Tom Cancelliere and owner John Cancelliere.

The $11,600 co-featured pace, carded as race six, will feature Rock The Town (post one) and Joesstar Of Mia A (post four), who finished first and second in last week’s fastest mile at Pocono: 1:50.3. They will take on High Impression (post two), who finished second to the blooming star Nicholas Beach last time out.

Harrah’s Philadelphia will race four days a week: Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 12:25 p.m., and Sunday at 12:40 p.m. The one exception in the month of April will come immediately after the inaugural card, as Harrah’s Philadelphia will not host live racing on Easter Sunday (April 4).

The Harrah’s Philadelphia driving colony, which can go with any group in North America, is scheduled to include George Napolitano Jr., the defending dash champion; last year’s UDR king Tim Tetrick; Yannick Gingras, the only other driver besides Napolitano and Tetrick to win a Philadelphia driving championship after the track’s first year; and two-time North American/USHWA Driver of the Year Dexter Dunn. On the training side, 2020 champion and perennial North American powerhouse Ron Burke will send out Sailboat Hanover and High Impression in the featured events.

The track will feature revamped, aggressive wagering schedule, aiming to give patrons the opportunity for more big-money payouts. There will be two Pick-4s, both with a 15 percent takeout and a 50-cent base, comprising the first four and last four races, and a Pick-5 (18 percent takeout, 50-cent base) will be offered on races five through nine.

The Super Hi-5 wager, also with 15 percent takeout and a 50-cent base, will replace the Jackpot Hi-5s and will be offered on the third, ninth, and last races. The new Hi-5 will carry over only if there are no winning tickets, as will be the cases with superfectas (which, along with trifectas, will carry a lower takeout this season), as well as all Pick-3, Pick-4 and Pick-5 pools.

Program pages for Harrah’s Philadelphia will be available on the PHHA website.