Chester, PA – Many of the horse vans coming to Harrah’s Philadelphia for Tuesday (April 14) 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, second in last year’s Breeders Crown final and with a mark of 1:48.1. Yannick Gingras moved the talented 3-year-old to the lead in front of the stands, and Al Papi smoked home in :54.3 – :27 to win handily in 1:52.4 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 Pace. Tuesday “Frantic” came first-over and paced his back numbers in :55.1 – :27.1 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, 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.
A 1:53.4 clocking was also the fastest time among the pacing females, recorded by another offspring of Sweet Lou, Caviart Daisy, Virginia champion and also good in Kentucky, in succeeding 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 – :27.2 to tally in 1:57.
Another Pennsylvania Sire Stakes champion, 3-year-old trotting filly Ginger Tree Lex, was seven-for-eight last season, and she won her first appearance of 2026 in 1:56.4, coming from last while going her own back numbers of :56.3 – :28.1 for driver Andrew McCarthy and trainer Steven Cook. Bar Hopping misses swept this division when Caviart Queen Emma was victorious in 1:57.4 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 to stop the timer in 1:58.1 for driver Tim Tetrick and trainer Scott DiDomenico.
The Philly qualifiers can be seen on www.phha.org.