Charles Oliveira, the UFC lightweight division star, earned his first pari-mutuel driving victory in North America on Sunday, May 10 at Harrah’s Philadelphia, guiding Ben Solo to a front-end victory in $15,068 handicap for $27,397-$34,247 claimers.

Oliveira, nicknamed "Do Bronxs" after the slang term for the favelas in which he grew up in his native Brazil, came off an exhibition victory in a team challenge at Yonkers Raceway, located just outside The Bronx, on Friday night. He came to the City of Brotherly Love on Mother's Day and high-lined Ben Solo to a one-length victory over Komodo Beach (Joe Bongiorno) in 1:51.2, just a tick off the pacer’s lifetime mark despite coming off of a scratch. He rated the six-year-old son of Huntsville-Leah to :28, :56.1 and 1:23 fractions and got him home a winner for owner-trainer Mark Akins. Twin B Risenshine (Andy Miller) was third. Following a second in his pari-mutuel debut last Tuesday, Oliveira had five drives on the Sunday card and is now 6-1-1-0 in North America. Family, friends and a good portion of the Philly paddock came out to greet the personable Oliveira after his victory. 

Records among the local driver colony were also the order of the day at the Harrah’s facility. On Sept. 27, 2009, there were three dead-heats to win on the card, giving Corey Callahan and Daniel Dube the distinction of joining the rare “Two Dead-Heat Wins On One Card Club.” On Sunday, there were two races inseparable for the win position, and Johnathan Ahle guided Ramblin Reck, the longest shot on the board, and Benhope Rulz N in those two contests, also notching a pair of “1DHs” on one card.

Echoes of the 2009 card resounded over 16 years later. Driver Andy Miller, who dead-heated with Callahan on the first occasion, tied with Ahle on Sunday with Like A Shadow in the fifth race, and George Napolitano Jr., who dead-heated with Dube in 2009, also had success on the card. Corey Callahan (whose win dead heats came in consecutive races in 2009) drove in both of the Sunday dead-heats, and won two other races. Bradley Chisholm drove the other horse, Rodeo Cowboy in the other dead heat to win Sunday.

There were two feature events from a racing standpoint. The $16,438 conditioned dash for up-and-coming pacers went to the Lather Up-Helens Place Girl colt Up In Place ($3), who gave his second outstanding performance in as many 2026 starts as he equalled his career mark of 1:51.2. Simon Allard was involved with his sophomore in a :27.1 opener, then was content to sit in the two-hole during middle splits of :55.4 and 1:23.4 before sending the Tony Alagna trainee out to a five-length score for owners John Barnard and Alagna Racing LLC. Strangeronthebeach (Mark Herschberger) finished second, followed by Glowing Lou (Joe Bongiorno).

In the $17,808 conditioned pace for fast-class horses, Papis Pistol ($6.60), who won in 1:47.4 last year at three, got into this race under the also-eligible-non-winners-of-10-races condition and made his 2026 bow a successful one in 1:50.4. George Napolitano Jr. regained control with the son of Papi Rob Hanover-Bang Bang after the :26.4 opener, rated him to splits of :55.1 and 1:22.4, and the stallion withstood a spirited stretch bid by a rallying Panettone Hanover (Joe Bongiorno) by a neck. Build The Wall (Mark Herschberger) was third. Sam De Pinto trains the winner for Shannon De Pinto, Chris Arvanitis, Brad Shackman and Robert Horowitz.

Joe Columbo was the sole trainer to post two wins on the 14-race card. The driving side had five with two-baggers: Johnathan Ahle from the dead-heats, Simon Allard, Corey Callahan, Mark Herschberger and George Napolitano Jr.

Racing resumes at Philly on Thursday at 12:25 p.m. with the usual assortment of high-class “Trottin’ Thursday” horses.

(With files from PHHA/Harrah's Philadelphia)