Chester, PA – As has been the case overall for the last couple of years, Tim Tetrick had the hot driving hands at Harrah’s Philadelphia during the Tuesday morning (May 5) qualifying session, bringing home five of the nine winners.
The Papi Rob Hanover colt Pa Luke just appeared in a Canadian press release as a North America Cup eligible who had not started yet in 2026. The second part was taken care of Tuesday, as Tetrick piloted the Breeders Crown finalist to a 1:54.1 mile, fastest of the morning. The Robert Cleary trainee took command past the quarter, then blitzed home in :54.3 – :27.1 to win by 17-1/2 lengths, and off that speed, the colt, owned by Celtic Racing, may have a date north of the border in a month or so.
The Captain Crunch filly Gauntlet, victorious in KY’s Wildcat Series last year, came from fifth at the half and smoked her back half in :56.2 to get home first in 1:56.4 for driver Bradley Chisholm, trainer Brett Pelling, and Diamond Creek Racing while edging fellow sophomore filly Stormy by a half-length.
In this period of watching for sophomores getting ready for their stakes, two 3-year-old trotters were winners, one handled by Tetrick. That one would be Captain Jordan, a Captain Corey colt who at 2 won in the Simpson and Standardbred stakes and was second to Apex in the NJ Classic final. The Scott DiDomenico trainee, sometimes with behavior complexities, had no such deportment problems here, coming out of the pocket in :58.2 – :29 to win in 1:59.1 for Joe Faraldo and Triple D Stables Inc.
Captain Corey had another siring success story with the filly Show Pony, a MD Race Fund winner at 2 who toyed with a short field in 2:01 – :58.4 for driver Corey Callahan and owner-trainer Richard Hans, eternally associated with Googoo Gaagaa.
All of the other Tuesday Philly winners were older stock, including the day’s fastest trotter, Frontier Macho, home in 1:58.1 for Tetrick, trainer Chuck Crissman Jr., and Elite Harness Racing LLC. In addition to the winners he guided for conditioners Cleary, DiDomenico, and Crissman as mentioned, “Timmy T” triumphed twice with Joe Bongiorno trainees.
The Tuesday Philly qualifiers can be viewed at www.phha.org.