Nelson Avenue (#1) edges Dilger in the Parx Dirt Mile at Parx Racing. (Taylor Ejdys/EQUI-PHOTO)
Tim Wilkin/Parx Racing
BENSALEM, Pa.—It took a while, but Nelson Avenue finally got back to the winner’s circle. All it took was a return to Parx Racing.
The 6-year-old gelding, owned by Photos Finish and trained by Jorge Abreu, won Saturday’s $300,000 Parx Dirt Mile Stakes at Parx Racing. The last time Nelson Avenue won a race was New Year’s Eve of 2024, when he rolled to an 11 1/4-length victory in the Blitzen Stakes at Parx.
Saturday wound up a lot closer.
Ridden by Hall of Famer Joel Rosario for the first time, Nelson Avenue rallied down the stretch and caught Dilger and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. in the shadow of the wire to win by a half-length.
The Parx Dirt Mile marked the eighth start of the year for the son of Into Mischief, who had a pair of seconds and a third. Nelson Avenue, even-money favorite in the field of nine, won in 1:36.13.
Dilger, the 7-2 second choice trained by Saffie Joseph Jr. set the early pace, carving out fractions of 22.73, 46.72 and 1:10.19. Ortiz pleaded with his mount to squeeze out the final sixteenth of a mile but could not hold off the steady rally of Nelson Avenue.
Rosario came with his bid as Nelson Avenue raced on the inside of Coastal Mission and jockey Arnaldo Bocachica in deep stretch. He gradually eased past that rival and put his sights on Dilger.
Dilger held second, a length in front of Coastal Mission, who was 4 lengths in front of Duke of Gloucester.
Nelson Avenue got his seventh win in 24 career starts. In his last two starts, he ran on the grass. He was a well-beaten fourth, beaten 9 1/4 lengths in the Tapit Stakes August 28 at Kentucky Downs. He finished second by a neck in a July 18 allowance at Saratoga Race Course in his prior start.
The Parx Dirt Mile was the seventh time Nelson Avenue competed at the distance, and he now has three wins, two seconds and a third at the trip. He earned $162,000 and boosted his bankroll to $565,305.
Quotes
Winning trainer Jorge Abreu: “He runs both surfaces pretty even, but I think a touch better on the turf. He doesn’t mind the dirt either. He didn’t today. He won here back in December. Before the race I told (Rosario), ‘I don’t want you in a speed duel. You come out of there running and just run your race.’ A guy like him, you shouldn’t give any instructions. I have to give credit to the owner. I usually don’t like to run horses back too quick. He told me we should nominate for that race, and if you don’t like what you see (then don’t run). He came out of that race in Kentucky so well. I think we’ll keep him in New York though.”
Winning jockey Joel Rosario: “He ran a good race today. The horse kept moving in front and he came and got him so that was good. It looked like he had some speed, but the other two looked like they were going to go. They have good speed, so I think it worked out perfect for him.”
Did you think you were going to catch Dilger? “I knew (my horse) was traveling really good, but you never know. I was trying to save a little for the end. I feel like he handled it. The fractions were fast, but the track is a little quick today, so you don’t know. I wasn’t sure at one point, but he got it done.”
Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. (Dilger, second): “He broke, and he has speed. I tried to let the outside horse go, but he pulled me right (to the lead) without using, without asking him to be there, so I took it. We did go a little fast, but that was the way the race set up. He tried right to the wire. That was a trough beat.”
