Some of the brightest stars in the Pennsylvania-sired firmament will be shining at Harrah’s Philadelphia this Friday, May 1, as the 2026 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes and Pennsylvania Stallion Series programs make their 2026 statewide debuts, with more than $200,000 USD in purses ready for the two divisions of Sire Stakes and five sections of Stallion Series on a 15-race program starting at 12:25 p.m.
The Sire Stakes are slotted as races seven and 10, and the most attention will likely be concentrated on the latter division, as it marks the return to the races of Loua Dipa. The daughter of Sweet Lou was named the 2025 U.S. Two-Year-Old Pacing Filly of the Year and posted the fastest time ever by a freshman filly, 1:48, at The Red Mile. She was also a winner in both her elimination and the final of the Breeders Crown and successful in the Shes A Great Lady Stakes at Woodbine Mohawk Park. Loua Dipa has qualified in 1:55.1 and then went an official workout for the judges in 1:54.3, both at The Meadows, the home base of trainer Ron Burke. Ronnie Wrenn Jr. will be headed eastward to guide Loua Dipa from post five in a field of seven for the ubiquitous Burke Racing Stable and Weaver Bruscemi.
The seventh race division figures to be the more competitive of the two PASS races. Say Goodnight, a daughter of Papi Rob Hanover, is best remembered locally for her pulling a $135.60 shocker here at Philly in the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Championship last September. She’ll start from post four for driver Tyler Buter and trainer Nick Devita, a hot combo at Pocono in recent weeks. Starting from post two will be the Sweet Lou miss Topville Lucky, who will be making her first start of the year after ending her 2025 campaign with five straight victories, including two Grand Circuit wins at The Red Mile and a triumph in the championship race of Kentucky’s highest-ranked stakes series.
The Stallion Series often produces horses who develop into Sire Stakes-caliber horses during the season, and Friday’s group has already shown flashes of promise. Among them, they have wins in the Pennsylvania All-Stars, the Liberty Bell, the Simpson, the Kentucky Commonwealth Championship, a New Jersey Standardbred Development Fund success and a Grand Circuit win in Delaware, Ohio.
Harrah’s Philly has set a dark day for Thursday, April 30 because it will race a special live card on Kentucky Derby Saturday (May 2) at 12:40 p.m. This means that the normal outstanding “Trottin’ Thursday” races will be pushed back a day to this Friday and featured alongside the pacing fillies. A $13,500 UAS contest for developing horses and a $13,000 USD fast-class event will be among the diamond-gaited action – and the quality of these horses’ history is reflected in wins in both a PA Sire Stakes and a Stallion Series championship, a New Jersey Classic victory, two Maryland championships and a Liberty Bell win still on their charted lines.
In summary, Harrah’s Philly will be racing on Friday, May 1 at 12:25 p.m., the big Sire Stakes card, and then 12:40 p.m. starts for races on Saturday, May 2 and Sunday, May 3.
(With files from PHHA/Harrah's Philadelphia)