BENSALEM, Penn. – Morris Kernan Jr., Yo Berb’s Racing and Jagger Inc.’s You Must Chill closed the Pennsylvania Derby day by giving his connections their third win on the undercard in the $200,000 Alphabet Soup Stakes for state-breds.
You Must Chill stayed within two lengths of the pacesetter Saratoga Jack before jockey Frankie Pennington angled the 5-year-old gelding to the outside at the top of the stretch, then made a strong run past Wait for It for the 1 ½-length victory while finishing the 1 1/16 mile race in 1:47.37 over a good turf course.
“He broke good, and he put me in a forward position,” Penning said. “He was dragging me the whole way. At the top of the stretch, it was a waiting game. Once I got out, he exploded.”
You Must Chill pursued Saratoga Jack inside angling out in the stretch to close strongly edging clear. Wait For It advanced outside to the front on the final turn but ran out of stamina while Someday Jones dropped back outside and moved very wide into the stretch rallying. Saratoga Jack, the initial leader, moved clear inside to midway on the final turn and dropped back. Papal Law steadied between rivals in the opening furlong, saved ground and faded.
Prince of Rain, Stonegate, Irish Cork, Saint Marco and Viski Jones complete the order of finish.
This was the first stakes victory for You Must Chill, who has won 4-for-5 races – both on dirt and turf at various distances – since Jamie Ness started training him.
“We always thought he was a grass horse,” Ness said. “Obviously, he had couple of good races on the dirt. Finally, we finally got him on the grass. We had to go to Penn [National] to do it. He really ran on a bad turf course, but we knew he could handle the turf course.”
Along with You Must Chill, Ness, Pennington, and the partnership won a starter allowance with Sevier and the Greenwood Cup with Magic Michael as part of the Pennsylvania Derby undercard.
“All three wins were with all of my partners,” Ness said. “These are all local guys, and this was their day. I am really happy for them.”
By Tony Podlaski/Parx Press Office
Photo: You Must Chill under jockey Frankie Pennington winning the Alphabet Soup Handicap and earning Black Type. (Eric Kalet)
