The 2026 harness racing season begins at Harrah’s Philadelphia this Friday, April 10, with a first post of 12:25 p.m., and the fields for the inaugural racing card of the year were put together on Tuesday, April 7.

A pair of $12,000 USD contests for developing younger horses will be featured on the Friday card. The ninth race trot will match a pair of Pennsylvania Stallion Series winners as they both make their three-year-old debut: Bayside Cue, who won the Stallion Series Championship for males, and Just Teasing, a filly who was triumphant in Stallion Series company. The 14th race pace for distaffs matches With The Fur, absent from the races since winning a Liberty Bell Stakes in November, with Twin B Cardi B, coming off two straight wins at Dover Downs in recent weeks.

After the opener, Harrah’s Philadelphia will follow a basic schedule of Thursday and Friday racing at 12:25 p.m. and Sunday action at 12:40 p.m. There will be an exception for a live card on Saturday, May 2, Kentucky Derby Day, at 12:40 p.m.; the previous Thursday, April 30 will be dark.

There was also another round of qualifiers at Philly on Tuesday morning, with driver Yannick Gingras and trainer Ron Burke combining for wins with three four-year-olds sired by Papi Rob Hanover: the mare Champagne Room (1:53) and geldings TH Colby (1:54.4), and Papis Rocket (1:55.2). Fastest mile of the day honours went to Odds On Wildfire and trainer/driver Geovany Hernandez, who won in 1:52.1 by a half-length over Burke trainee Fallout.

The fastest trot went to Herodotus, ready for a 1:57 mile after almost a year away from the races but sharp for five-time defending Philly driving leader Tim Tetrick and trainer Enrico Robinson. 

Driver Todd McCarthy and trainer Ron Coyne Jr. combined on a pair of sophomore trotting winners, Fineline Hanover (1:57.1) and Southwind Alamo (1:59.3).

Tuesday’s qualifiers can be seen at phha.org. Free Philly program pages will be available at the same location.

(PHHA/Harrah's Philadelphia)