Distaff pacers were in the feature spotlight the most on an overcast but rainless Friday, May 22 afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia.

A $17,808 handicap pace for fast-class mares gave the six-year-old Sweet Lou-Nikkibadwagon distaff Sweetnikkilou A a perfect showcase for her talents in her North American debut, winning in 1:50.2. Driven by Andrew McCarthy for trainer Nifty Norman and his Enzed Racing Stable Inc., Sweetnikkilou A sat behind pacesetting Factory Girl (Tim Tetrick) through fractions of :27.2, :55.3 and 1:23.3, then paced her own last quarter in :26.3, without much apparent urging, to go by the stubborn leader by a half length. 

Developing younger females were in two of the three $16,438 sub-features. The quicker was Shes A Rich Girl, a royally-bred sophomore by Captaintreacherous out of My Little Dragon (she is a full sister to millionaire Treacherous Dragon and a three-quarter sister to stallion Stay Hungry). Tim Tetrick quarter-moved with the Linda Toscano trainee and came home in :27.4 to win easily in 1:52.1 for owners Richard Young of Boca Raton, Florida and Joanne Young of Vacaville, California.

The other pacing sub-feature split was won by the Tall Dark Stranger-Yagonnakissmeornot filly Kissin In The Dark, who made an early move around leader Carolina (Simon Allard), then held off the late comeback of that one by a half-length with a :27.2 last quarter, establishing a new mark of 1:52.4. George Napolitano Jr. drove the winner for trainer Doug Dilloian Jr. and the partnership of Dilloian Stable of Tinton Falls, New Jersey, Brian Loman of Champaign, Illinois and Robert Venable of Noblesville, Indiana.

The other sub-feature was a trot, in which Lady Suffolk winner Ygritte kept her seasonal tab perfect after three starts with a 1:54 triumph. Mattias Melander got a :27.2 third quarter out of the Gimpanzee-Etta Am S filly to reach contention, then took the lead, holding off 40-1 shot Saint Patrick (Patrick Ryder) by a length for his brother and the filly's trainer, Marcus Melander, and the partnership of S R F Stable of Delray Beach, Florida and Eric Good of Davidsonville, Maryland.

Tim Tetrick, who has driven a winner in one of the Invitational races during 11 of the 17 years of Philly’s Super Sunday (see next paragraph), got a nice warmup and furthered his meet-topping total by leading the local drivers with three victories on Friday. Troy Beyer, Mark Herschberger, Andrew McCarthy and George Napolitano Jr. visited the winner's circle twice. Trainers harnessing two winners included Jason Brewer (both driven by Herschberger), Izzy Estrada (both handled by Beyer) and Nancy Takter.

Harrah’s Philadelphia will host its signature Super Sunday program this weekend with a 12:40 p.m. start. More than $600,000 USD in purses will be on the line, including three $100,000 USD events for the top Free-For-Allers: the Maxie Lee Memorial Trot, the Betsy Ross Pace for mares and the Joseph Auger Memorial Pace. There will also be Pennsylvania-sired action for the three-year-old pacing males in the Sire Stakes and Stallion Series programs. A Sire Stakes race will kick off a $10,000 USD guaranteed Pick 4 wager in race 10, with the three Invitationals comprising the remainder of the bet in the following three races. 

(With files from PHHA/Harrah's Philadelphia)