By Dennis Miller
It’s all about PARX Racing this Saturday as it’s Pennsylvania Derby Day with eight stakes races on tap at the track located about 30 minutes from Philadelphia.
This could be the last year the Pennsylvania Derby is a draw as with next year’s Churchill Downs-NYRA 3-year-old racing series, it’s unclear where the big race of the PARX season will fit in the 3-year-old campaign.
The highlight of the Saturday card will be the Grade I Derby and the Grade I Cotillion.
Here’s a look at the two races.
PARX
Grade I Cotillion
(13th race, 1:58 p.m.)
This is a 1-1/16 of a mile race for 3-year-old fillies, including the winner of the Kentucky Oaks.
My Miss Me (Saffie Joseph, Tyler Gaffalione) has won two in a row and did so by setting or pressing the pace. Two back she took the Black-Eyed Susan on May 15 at Laurel Park, sitting in second through the first half, then taking over the race. In her last start – the Grade III Monmouth Oaks on July 25 – she wired the field and left no doubt late. Has been off since then but she has had a couple of good works for a barn that will bring her ready.
Bodacious Bay (Saffie Joseph, Micah Husbands) was second to her stablemate in the Monmouth Oaks and was favored in the race. If you like what you see in My Miss Me, then you have to look here as well. Big work at Saratoga this past Saturday.
Always a Runner (Chad Brown, Jose Ortiz) was the winner of the Kentucky Oaks with a big closing run at 5/1. Took a month off after the Oaks and came back with a second in the Grade I Acorn at Saratoga on June 5, losing to the dynamic Counting Stars. Three weeks later she came to run second again to Counting Stars in the CCA Oaks at Saratoga. There’s no Counting Stars in this field!
Measure (Mark Casse, Manny Franco) warrants consideration on her last two starts alone. Two back third in the CCA Oaks behind Counting Stars and Always a Runner, then in her last start, the Grade I Alabama at Saratoga on August 22 she charged late but just missed be a nose, finishing second. Had a monster work on Sept. 12 at Belmont and looks ready to contend here.
Grade I Pennsylvania Derby
(14th race, 2:48 p.m.)
This is for 3-year-olds going 1-1/8 of a mile with 10 horses entering.
Iron Honor (Chad Brown, Jose Ortiz) deserves consideration on the connections alone. The last two races were solid as he was second in the Preakness two back, then was third in the Grade I Haskell on July 18 at Monmouth. He likes to sit mid-pack, then charge late. He has been off since the Haskell but has been working consistently and looks fit for this one.
Our Moneyman (William Bret Calhoun, Manny Franco) the $2 million purchasehas looked good in the last two starts, finishing second at 14/1 in the Grade III Matt Winn June 7 at Churchill, then second in the Grade III Indiana Derby on July 11 at 7/2. Both times he closed just missing in each. Those two races fit well with this one so he must not be overlooked.
The Puma (Gustavo Delgado, Javier Castellano) got a lot of talk about the Kentucky Derby after winning the Tampa Derby and finishing second in the Florida Derby but did not run on the first Saturday in May. He came back to run fourth in the Haskell and the Travers on August 29, getting a 99 Beyer in the process. He needs a pace to run at and if he gets that he will be running late.
Further Ado (Brad Cox, Flavien Prat) this was your favorite for the Kentucky Derby, something I think would be lost on many horse players. After bumping and finding all sorts of trouble, he finished 11th in the Derby, He skipped the Preakness and ran back in Matt Winn, winning it after pressing the pace early, then pulling away. He was back on July 18 in the Haskell and threatened early but faded to fifth, beaten by over five lengths. Not sure what to expect here – the horse that won the Blue Grass and got a 106 Beyer mark or the horse that faded in his last start. His works have been decent for the return.