The Thursday, April 23 card at Harrah’s Philadelphia was full of both fast winning times and mutuel upsets, and Dame Good Time’s 1:51.4 victory in the $17,808 featured conditioned trot fits both categories.
Andy Miller had Dame Good Time flying away from the gate to assume command quickly, with favoured Benjamin Hanover (Tim Tetrick) at the other end of the field after an early break. The victorious Chapter Seven-Dame Du Lac gelding unfurled splits of :27.2, :55.2, and 1:22.4 and was just as fresh at the end of the mile as he was at the start, winning by 5-1/2 lengths in his first appearance since November. Tymal Tiggs (Ridge Warren) was second, followed by Ready For Landing (Simon Allard).
The five-year-old Dame Good Time, now nine-for-31 lifetime, has had some moments in the racing sun. He won a Bluegrass Stakes division at two; at three, he won the Zweig Memorial and upset the mighty Karl in the Kentucky Championship Series final, in which he took his mark of 1:50.2. He also has had different trainers in his four campaigns for owner John Cummins; Nicholas Devita, who is in charge of him in 2026, was his trainer for his first two qualifying starts before he changed barns.
Dame Good Time paid $29.60 to win. Driver Miller had three wins on Thursday to lead all horsepeople, and the other two win mutuels were $14 and $11.60.
There were three $16,438 contests for developing horses serving as sub-features. The trotting division also went to Andy Miller with Just Teasing ($11.60), a sophomore Captain Corey-Just Joshing filly. She improved one position off a second in her seasonal bow, lowering her mark to 1:55.2 for trainer Julie Miller and owners Andy Miller Stable Inc., Jean Goehlen, and Windsong Stable.
There was a pacing sub-feature for each sex. In the contest for males that concluded the card, the fastest time of the day, 1:51, was posted by the Always A Virgin-Ag N Au Bluegrass three-year-old gelding Im A Real American, who took a new mark. Driver Simon Allard sat chilly through the stretch after his horse led throughout fractions of :27.1, :55.4, and 1:22.3. Per Engblom conditions Im A Real American for Evans Nation and Engblom Farm LLC.
The female sub-featured pacers were topped by the Papi Rob Hanover-Make Mine Mocha filly Make It Right ($10.80) in 1:53.3. Tim Tetrick had to send the sophomore three-wide the entirety of the opening panel en route to making the top at the three-eighths, but Make It Right did everything right in a back half of :56.1 and final quarter of :27.4. She tallied for trainer Jim King Jr. and owners Gary McCandless, Jo Ann Looney-King and Larry Rathbone.
Only three favourites won on the day, but bettors who adjusted early to driver Troy Beyer were amply rewarded. Beyer won the second race with Perla while paying $70.60, then came right back in the next contest to front his field with Captain Cash at $51. In addition to Beyer’s and Andy Miller’s multi-win days, doubles were recorded by drivers Allard and Mark Herschberger and trainer Annie Stoebe.
The week continues at Harrah’s Philadelphia with a 12:25 p.m. Friday card and a 12:40 p.m. Sunday program. Next week, Thursday will be a dark day because of a special 12:40 p.m. program on Kentucky Derby Saturday (May 2). The day before that, the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes and Stallion Series make their 2026 debut with a leg for three-year-old pacing fillies.
(With files from PHHA/Harrah's Philadelphia; photo of Dame Good Time winning on July 4, 2024)