Many of the horse trailers coming to Harrah’s Philadelphia for Tuesday morning, April 14 qualifiers contained stakes horses looking to solidify their racing preparations for their upcoming sophomore campaigns, and upon going home many of their connections must have thought “Mission Accomplished.”

There were four winners from among the glamour boy division, the three-year-old pacing males, and the quickest winner was the Papi Rob Hanover-Baron Remy colt Al Papi, runner-up in the Breeders Crown who sports a world record mark of 1:48.1. Yannick Gingras moved the talented three-year-old to the lead in front of the stands and Al Papi smoked home in :54.3 and :27 to win handily over older pacers in 1:52.4 for trainer Ron Burke.

Another prize pupil from the Burke stable winning his first qualifier of the season was Stay Hungry-Francessa colt Frantic Hanover, the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes champion last year in a world record 1:49.1f who later missed just half a length to undefeated Horse of the Year Beau Jangles in the Metro Pace. On Tuesday, Frantic Hanover went first-over and paced home in :27.1 to win in 1:56 by a nose, also beating older foes, for driver Tim Tetrick.

The connections of Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi and company have made the first sustaining payment on both colts to the North America Cup this June at Woodbine Mohawk Park. Al Papi's ownership group also includes Jandt Silva - Purnel And Libby and Lawrence Karr while Frantic Hanover's co-owners are Brad Grant and Knox Services.

The Captaintreacherous-Apple Hanover colt Captain Apple, the Kentucky Commonwealth Series champion, won his first appearance of 2026 in 1:54.2, turning back another fast Cup-nominated Burke trainee, Melillo (a 1:48.4 Grand Circuit stakes winner who was second in the Governor’s Cup and third in the Breeders Crown) for the son-father, driver-trainer team of Patrick and Chris Ryder. 

Driver Scott Zeron and trainer Nancy Takter tallied with the Sweet Lou-American Cheer gelding Louaville, holding off the Burke-trained Delaware champion Watch Em Win on the engine in 1:53.4.

The time of 1:53.4 was the fastest time among the pacing females, recorded by another offspring of Sweet Lou, Caviart Daisy (damCaviart Darlin), last year's Virginia champion and also good in Kentucky, in succeeding for driver Tony Morgan and trainer Jamie Sullivan. 

Team Ryder had another winner in the Bettors Wish-It Can Happen miss Bettor Be A Star, who went uncovered while posting back splits of :55.1 and :27.2 to tally in 1:57.

Another Pennsylvania Sire Stakes champion, trotting filly Ginger Tree Lex, was seven-for-eight last season and the Bar Hopping-Perfect Chance miss won her first sophomore appearance in 1:56.4, going raw from last while going her own back numbers of :56.3 and :28.1 for driver Andrew McCarthy and trainer Steven Cook. 

Bar Hopping misses swept this division when Caviart Queen Emma (dam Caviart Quinn) was victorious in 1:57.4 for Zeron and Takter.

The lone three-year-old trotting male winner in the qualifiers was the Captain Corey-Melania colt Jim Beam, who sat back off a slow pace early, then went uncovered and stepped home swiftly in :55.2 to stop the timer in 1:58.1 for Tetrick and trainer Scott DiDomenico. 

(With files from PHHA/Harrah's Philadelphia; photo of Al Papi winning in 2025)