Harrah’s Philadelphia bounced back to racing life on Friday, April 3, holding a qualifying session ahead of the 2026 pari-mutuel Opening Day, one week away on April 10.

The quickest of 11 winners during the first action at the southeast Pennsylvania oval since New Year’s Eve was Royal Desire in 1:54.2.  A winner in the New Jersey stakes program in his younger days,  the Bettors Wish gelding is sharp right now as attested to by a mile in 1:54.2 on the engine, last half :56.1, for driver Johnathan Ahle and trainer Kathleen LaMontagne, the latter co-owner with Donald LaMontagne.

Good Friday won on Good Friday as the other sub-1:55 victor on the day. The three-year-old Tall Dark Stranger – Virgin Mary gelding also led at every pole, stepping the last half in :56.1 to stop the timer in 1:54.4 for driver Troy Beyer, trainer Tom Shay, and owners Howard Taylor and Teena Freibert.

On the trot, the fastest mile also went to a horse using engine tactics, the International Moni gelding You Guessed It, who won five of his first six starts after coming south of the border in the last third of last year. You Guessed It won in 1:56.1 for Dustin Jones Stable Inc., trainer Timothy Lancaster, and driver Simon Allard. The latter two were the only multiple winners on a card, with Allard driving three winners and Lancaster training two.

There will be another qualifying session at Philly this Tuesday, April 7 (declare by 10 a.m. Monday). Tuesday is also the day when the first draw for the pari-mutuel races will be held; this card for Friday, April 10 has its box close at 9 a.m. Philly will be racing on Thursday and Friday at 12:25 p.m. and Sunday at 12:40 p.m., with the only alteration in the first half of the year being a Kentucky Derby Day live card on Saturday, May 2 at 2 p.m., with no racing the previous Thursday.

Harrah's Philadelphia draw schedule reminder

Horsemen should be advised of the following draw schedule:

• Draw Tuesday for racing on Friday
• Draw Wednesday for racing on Sunday
• Draw Friday for racing on Thursday

The box closes at 9 a.m. all mornings. Qualifiers will be held on Tuesday mornings at 9:30 a.m., with entries accepted on Sunday mornings until 11 a.m.

(PHHA / Harrah's Philadelphia)