The last horse to have won a race against 2018 Harness Horse of the Year McWicked came out sharp in his 2019 bow on Tuesday (April 2).

The horse in question – gelding, actually – is Donttellmeagain, who qualified at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Tuesday morning. He paced his back half in :53.4 and was first under the wire in 1:52.2.

Tim Tetrick was behind the Jim King Jr. trainee. The duo had gotten away fifth from the outside Post 7. They moved with the backstretch flow and then re-tucked into third as Sicily brushed to the lead.

Donttellmeagain moved out again in the stretch, but Sicily proved hard to overhaul. Donttellmeagain ended up overtaking his foe when it matters most, though. Donttellmeagain, who is a five-year-old son of Dragon Again, is owned by Paton Racing Stables Inc.

Among the three-year-olds who qualified impressively were:

• The McArdle filly Queen Of The Pride, who won her Ohio Sires Stakes championship last season. She came home in :27.4 to post a 1:52.4 victory for driver David Miller and trainer Kevin Lare;

• Practical Cat, a $230,000 Muscle Hill yearling, who won handily in 1:55.2 for driver Yannick Gingras and trainer Per Engblom;

• And the ‘Philly fillies at Philly,’ Pennsylvania Sire Stakes miss Philly Hanover and Rockn Philly, with the former edging the latter by a half length in 1:56.3 for driver Dexter Dunn and trainer Ron Coyne Jr.

(With files from PHHA/Harrah’s Philadelphia)