Dettori threw down the gauntlet aboard First World War (#4) to win the Grade 3 Penn Mile. (Kathy Hair/EQUI-PHOTO)
> Dettori winning the Penn Oaks aboard Poolside With Slim > Stem Chaser holds on in Lyphard Stakes > Fierce and Strong goes gate-to-wire in With Anticipation
By Maribeth Kalinich
It as an all-turf stakes day at Hollywood Casino at Penn National today with 11 races on the card including the marquee event the $400,000 Grade 3 Penn Mile with opening acts of the $100,000 Lyphard Stakes for registered Penn bred fillies and mares, the $100,000 With Anticipation for the Penn bred males and the $150,000 Penn Oaks for 3-year-old fillies.
Trainers brought horses from far and wide, and jockeys followed.
Umberto Rispoli, based in California, came east to ride Maryland-based Graham Motion’s Trikari in the Penn Mile.
The highlight of the day was the double score by Frankie Dettori winning the Penn Oaks aboard Poolside With Slim and following up with the victory in the Penn Mile.
Replacing Brian Hernandez for the day, Dettori got the leg up from trainer George Arnold II aboard the Irish-bred filly.
With reigning Belmont Stakes champion Javier Castellano up, Pounce went straight to the lead setting the pace at modest fractions of 23.14 and 47.21. Pink Polkadots stalked until the stretch when she made a bid four wide.
Poolside With Slim (#3 inside) with Frankie Dettori riding. (Kathy Hair/EQUI-PHOTO)
Pounce held by half a length as Nice as Pie and Neom Beach began to rally with Poolside With Slim.
Pounce faded to third after being caught by Nice as Pie who missed first by a head in an exciting finish.
Neom Beach would best Pink Polkadots by a neck for fourth. J Rivers, Crown Imperial, Dazzling’ Dictator, Living Magic and Photo Finish completed the order of finish with Buttercream Babe and Takemetothebeach both scratched.
Dettori’s trademark dismount of Poolside With Slim. (Bill Denver/EQUI-PHOTO)
Owned by Glenn Bromagen II, Patrick Lewis and Sandra Bromagen, the 3-year-old daughter of Churchill (IRE) is out of Epaulette (AUS) mare Kissepal (IRE).
Poolside With Slim collected her second win in five starts and a nice pay day of $85,000 while her players collected $5.60 for the win ($3.20, 2.60).
A short time later, Dettori would get the leg up from Brendan Walsh aboard Qatar Racing and Hunter Valley Farm’s First World War (4/1) in the Grade 3 Penn Mile.
Facing formidable completion from favorite Trikari (3/1) under Umberto Rispoli for Graham Motion and Good Lord Lorrie (9/2) ridden by Flavien Prat for Peter Gulyas.
Set under Emisael Jaramillo jumped on the lead and set the pace at 23.09 and 46.31 with Trikari hot on his heels. Aspenite under Cristian Torres pressed the pace with Trikari.
After checking early, Dettori and First World War settled off the pace until making a swift rally with Aspenite and Trikari, who had briefly taken the lead.
Looking like a soldier in his silks, Dettori gets amplitude off of First World War. (Bill Denver/EQUI-PHOTO)
It would be a riveting finish with a nose and a neck that separated First World War, Aspenite and Trikari, respectively.
Good Lord Lorrie would get up for fourth with pacesetter Jet fading to fifth.
Please Advise, Freedom Principle, I Know Map and Tropandhagen complete the order of finish with Dancing Groom scratched.
First World War completed the mile on the turf in 1:33.50, 0.38 off of Thunder Brew’s 2010 record of 1:33.12.
Adding a paycheck of $230,000 to his career earnings, First World War now has three wins, two this year and two seconds in seven starts.
With a fairly regal pedigree, the dark bay colt was sired by War Front out of Sunaysatthebeach mare by Medaglia d’Oro.
The 3-year-old colt rewarded his fans with $8.80 ($4.80, 3.20) while Aspenite paid a hefty $14.20 ($7.00).
The warmup acts, both at one and one sixteenth of a mile on the turf, were for 3-year-olds and up Pennsylvania breeds and the field was full of seasoned veterans.
Stern Chaser #1 with Paco Lopez riding scores Black Type in the $100,000 Lyphard Stakes. (Bill Denver/EQUI-PHOTO)
Kicking off the stakes action was the Lyphard Stakes with two elderly ladies, 6-year-old In a Spin conditioned by Michael Matz and 7-year-old Princess Javonica trained by Elizabeth Merryman the favorites at 9/2 and 7/2 respectively.
Matz also conditioned two other entries in Lady Outofthe Blue and Stern Chaser, both 5-year-olds.
Under Paco Lopez, Runnymoore Racing’s Stem Chaser took over the lead at the half milemarkand never looks back. Dream Chaser gave chase with One the Shortlist as patient Princess Javoncia held fourth.
It seemed no one would catch Stern Chaser until, living up to her name, Lady Outofthe Blue rallied from ninth until she got up and missed the win by three-quarters of a length.
It would be Princess Javoncia followed by Anoint with In a Spin, On the Shortlist, Cuenca, Dream Chaser and Doctor Abbie completed the order of finish with Eight Danzas scratched.
The granddaughter of Bernardini out of Mysterious Ways mare was sired by Astern (AUS) bred by Gregory and Caroline Bentley.
The trifecta on this race was pretty sweet $108.55 with Stern Chaser awarding $9.00 ($4.80, 4.23), Lady Outofthe Blue paying $6.00 ($4.40) and Princess Javoncia handing out $9.00 in treasure.
Up next were the males ranging in age from three to seven years old in the With Anticipation Stakes.
Fierce and Strong #5 with Julio Hernandez aboard winning the $100,000 With Anticipation Stakes. (Bill Denver/EQUI-PHOTO)
A Western Yarn under Umberto Rispoli would off as the 5-1 favorite, but it would be Ultra Championship Racing’s homebred Fierce and Strong under Julio Hernandez would bolt from gate number one and take the lead to the wire.
Gordian Knott attempted to give chase with John Dutton and Western Yarn, but it would be Crisper under Jorge Ruiz coming from way back to get up for second by a neck over A Western Yarn.
Gordian Knot slipped to fifth with John Dutton in seventh. Market Maven was fourth with Lacco Ameno sixth.
Fletcher, Renewing, He’s a Mess and Max Barley complete the order of finish.
Jockey Frankie Dettori holds up the Penn Mile Trophy after guiding First World War to victory in the Penn Mile. (Bill Denver/EQUI-PHOTO)
The Hoppertunity colt out of Point of Entry mare Doubleclickdamouse won his second of two 2024 starts for trainer Michael Salvaggio. With 17 career starts, Fierce and Strong has score six wins with three second places and two thirds.
While he collected a tasty $70,500 for his win, his faithful were rewarded with $20 for the win ($6.60, 4.60)
As for Frankie Dettori, he walked away two sparkling trophies and is heading to Monmouth Park with six mounts on the day, one for trainer Scott Lake and five for Jonathan Thomas including Twirling Point in the Jersey Derby.
Dettori jogs the full turf course. (Bill Denver/EQUI-PHOTO)
Bonus!
If you want to know how 52-year-old Dettori stays so competitive, well, for one he does laps on turf courses, like Penn National!
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