Trainer Noel Daley does not seem too concerned about Caviart Ally making the jump to racing older horses, and feels his confidence will be proven as the year goes on.

“People say sometimes it’s a little harder for the four-year-olds to actually go against the older mares,” Daley said. “Physically and mentally I think she’ll do the job. I don’t think she’s going to out-muscle them straight away. She’s going to have to have a bit of luck the way the races go and all that. But I think as the season goes on especially, I really think she’ll match it up with them.

“She’s a very hearty mare. If anything, she always looks too big. She’s not one you have to worry about eating and things like that. You’ve got to worry about her being too big, actually.”

Caviart Ally is coming off an outstanding three-year-old season in which she was the straight-heat winner of the Jugette, and also captured a division of the Bluegrass Stakes along with two legs and the final of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes. She won seven of 20 races and finished second in the Breeders Crown, Lynch Memorial, Glen Garnsey and Shady Daisy.

For her career, Caviart Ally has won 11 of 36 races and earned $839,753. After winning her first two starts this year, she faces the first stakes-level race of her four-year-old season Sunday in the $150,000 Betsy Ross Invitational for older female pacers at Harrah’s Philadelphia.

The Betsy Ross is part of an invitational tripleheader at Philly with the Commodore Barry for older male pacers and Maxie Lee for older trotters.

In addition, the card includes a Great Northeast Open Series event for trotters -- featuring 2017 Horse of the Year Hannelore Hanover -- and Great Northeast Open Series races for male and female pacers. There also will be two divisions of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes for three-year-old female pacers. Action begins at 12:40 p.m. (EDT).

Caviart Ally will get a stern test as the Betsy Ross field includes three-time Dan Patch Award-winner Pure Country, Blue Chip Matchmaker Series champion Shartin N, and stakes-winners Agent Q, Darlinonthebeach, and Blue Moon Stride. Caviart Ally will start from post No. 2 with Andy McCarthy in the sulky.

“It’s a very competitive race which makes it good,” Daley said. “No one’s going to be able to waltz around and do their own thing. There’s too many in there that can win. There’s very few in there that can’t win it; in my estimation anyhow. Whoever has a good trip and has a good day. It’s a deep field, there’s no dominant one there, I don’t think.”

Owned by Caviart Farms, Caviart Ally was purchased at Harrisburg -- at Daley’s recommendation -- for $35,000 by Buck and Judy Chaffee, who were looking for a broodmare but figured they would race the horse if she showed potential.

In her two wins this year, Daley liked her in the first at Philly on May 9, but was not thrilled with her second race at the same track on May 18. She won her seasonal debut in 1:50.4 and her second start in 1:52.

“She was very good the first start; she bounced a bit the second start and was just OK,” he said. “She switched off the last little bit but she can do that. I think we’ll be fine on Sunday.”

Her opening races this year sound a little like a microcosm of her career.

“She’s a funny mare,” Daley said. “She can have an average day here and there, she’s been disappointing a couple times and then obviously she can be very good. The first part of the year she was solid last year. I think she really stepped out there when she won the Sire Stakes final, she was just super that day.

“She was very good in the Breeders Crown, she got outdrawn there and had to come first over and stuck in very well. She went fifth in the last one of the year in the Matron. If she had won the Matron, I think she would have probably got the (three-year-old filly pacer) of the year. To me it was a three-way battle between Agent Q and (divisional award-winner) Blazin Britches.”

And although she was not an award-winner last year, Caviart Ally showed enough to get heavily staked in her first year with the older horses.

“We have her in everything,” Daley said. “If you’re going to bring them back and try to race them...she’s in a lot, she’s in every race an older mare could be in. She’s paid up. I’ll be shocked if she doesn’t come back very good. She’s a beautiful type of mare, she’s just a big strong mare; has a great temperament.”

And Daley is excited for the upcoming big races, as the only people he would rather be other than himself are the Chaffees.

“I’m happy to have her,” he said, adding with a laugh, “I wish I owned her.”

Following is the field for the Betsy Ross with drivers, trainers, and morning-line odds.

1. Pure Country, Yannick Gingras, Jimmy Takter, 5-1
2. Caviart Ally, Andy McCarthy, Noel Daley, 12-1
3. Divas Image, Joe Bongiorno, Jennifer Bongiorno, 15-1
4. Shartin N, Tim Tetrick, Jim King Jr., 9-5
5. Agent Q, Brett Miller, Chris Oakes, 7-2
6. Apple Bottom Jeans, Victor Kirby, Kevin Switzer, 20-1
7. Darlinonthebeach, David Miller, R. Nifty Norman, 9-2
8. Blue Moon Stride, Corey Callahan, Mark Harder, 8-1

(with files from USTA)