Nature smiled upon the opening day of the 2026 season of harness racing at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Friday, April 10, with a cloudless sky and pleasant temperatures in the 60s (Fahrenheit) greeting the trotters and pacers at the southeast Pennsylvania oval, which will mark its 20th anniversary on Sept. 12.

The first-day features were a pair of $16,667 contests for on-the-improve horses. The event on the pace, for females, went to the Tall Dark Stranger three-year-old With The Fur, who won a Liberty Bell Stakes in her last start of 2025 on Nov. 6, and came right back in top fettle in her 2026 bow. George Napolitano Jr. guided her to the front and the pair held sway the rest of the journey to take victory by three-quarters of a length over favoured pocket-sitter Turn Up The Music while equalling her mark of 1:54.3 for trainer Ron Burke (who’s locally earned 10 training titles; Napolitano has eight) and owner Howard Taylor of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

On the trot, the four-year-old Six Pack mare Mamy Wata benefitted from a cagey drive by Tim Tetrick (winner of 11 track titles, including the last five), sitting third on the rail and then able to come up the inside as two-holer Just Teasing moved outside to challenge in the lane. The winning margin was, again, three parts of a length, with Mamy Wata edging Just Teasing for trainer Ron Coyne Jr. and Yardville, New Jersey owner Paul Minore while posting a clocking of 1:56, missing her mark by a tick.

Tim Tetrick was in a hurry to begin defense of the Philly driving crown, winning four times on the afternoon's 14-race card. Mark Herschberger visited Victory Lane twice; no other driver, and no trainer, had more than one triumph.

Shaun Callahan, 44, a member of the famous Delmarva racing family which also races at Harrah’s Philadelphia, passed away this past Monday. The Harrah’s horsepeople gathered together in the winner's circle in the traditional horseshoe configuration to honour his memory.

Racing resumes on Sunday at 12:40 p.m. with talented pacers of both the developing and fast-class variety in the feature spotlight. Harrah’s Philadelphia will race a basic schedule of Thursday and Friday at 12:25 p.m. and Sunday at 12:40 p.m.; one variation will come on Kentucky Derby Saturday (May 2), when the track will host live racing at 12:40 p.m. after being dark the Thursday before. Free Philly program pages will be available at phha.org.

(PHHA/Harrah's Philadelphia)