Twisted Destiny gets it right for punters

CHESTER PA – The tote board forecast that the $14,000 featured pace for developing horses Sunday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia could come down to two horses, and the punters’ forecast was exactly right, as Twisted Destiny (Bettor’s Wish) made a successful seasonal debut as the harness racing favorite in 1:51.2 over second-choice Dublin Dasher.

TWISTED DESTINY REPLAY

A son of Bettor’s Wish trained by Chris Ryder for Let It Ride Stables Inc, Alberg Racing LLC, and Enviro Stables LTD, Twisted Destiny was reserved in fourth by driver Dexter Dunn as Dublin Dasher took advantage of the rail and controlled through solid fractions of :27.2, :55.1, and 1:23, with Twisted Destint on the move uncovered down the backstretch and alongside the leader nearing the three-quarters.

The front two dueled for the entire last quarter, with Twisted Destiny just having enough in the shadow of the wire to keep his winning streak going to five, including a Reynolds Stake and the PA Stallion Series Final at two.

The Rock N Roll Heaven gelding Lyons Steel, who took his mark of 1:48.3 here last year at the age of nine, returned to the southeast Pennsylvania oval for the first time in 2025 and promptly posted a 1:51.4 victory in the $13,000 pace for fast-class veterans.

Simon Allard, who has guided the winner of $830,886 to many of his local triumphs, shot his horse right to the front, and even with favored Hunting Zone moving up early then possibly jumping a lightpole shadow on the track before taking back, Lyon Steel may have been hard to deny, setting fractions of :27.1, :56.4, and 1:24.3 before his :27.1 sprint to the wire for trainer Jose Ramos and BD Racing LLC.

LYONS STEEL REPLAY

The schedule at Harrah’s Philly deviates a little from the norm this coming week as a certain Thoroughbred race in Kentucky on Saturday has prompted the track to put on a special live program of Standardbred racing beginning at noon; this Thursday will be dark in “compensation.” The normal schedule of Friday at 12:25 and Sunday at 12:40 will bookend the special live Kentucky Derby Day card. Free Philly program pages will be available at www.phha.org.

For complete race results, click here: US Trotting results.

From the PHHA/Harrah’s Philadelphia