Brought to you by AmWager
Jaime Torres gives a celebratory wave to the appreciative crowd aboard Seize the Grey. (Ryan Denver/EQUI-PHOTO)
14 races, 10 stakes, 2 G1s, Pennsylvania Derby Day
For information on Past The Wire’s annual Breeders’ Cup Seminar, the very best in the game CLICK HERE
By Maribeth Kalinich
They were doing the Pennsylvania Polka Saturday at Parx Racing in Bensalem, Pa., with a full 14-race card and 10 stakes including the Grade 1s Cotillion for the fillies and Pennsylvania Derby for the boys on Pennsylvania Derby Day.
Race 1
Khrysselv Mavrez’a Sherman Fury kicked off the action in a $100,000 maiden special weight (MSW) with a hearty field of 14. Under Irad Ortiz, Jr., the Gun Runner colt stalked and then dueled his way to victory by a head over Dream Talk for trainer Jose D’Angelo.
A grandson of Curlin out of Curls and Bows, the colt completed the seven furlongs contest in 1:26.52. While the winner paid $5.00 the runner up paid a hefty $26.40.
Race 2
Ortiz doubled up with wins in the second race, also a $100K MSW, aboard Mainline Stables and Avalon Racing Stables’ Five a Side.
Stalking Maximus Angelico pilot by Francisco Martinez, Five a Side forced the pace and then edged off for a 1-1/4 length victory for trainer John Servis.
The Hard Spun filly completed the seven furlongs in 1:25.90 and paid $4.20 for the win.
Bred in Kentucky by Porta Pia Stables LLC, the bay is out of Pulpit mare Kylbrylie. She has hit the board in all three of her starts with two second place finishes.
Alphabet Soup Handicap
The first stakes of the day, the $100,000 Alphabet Soup Handicap (Black Type) for Pennsylvania-breds was up on the turf listed as firm (but criticized on social media as being sparse and shaggy).
Ascoli Piceno Stables LLC’s homebred Crisper settled inside the pace then angled out into the stretch and wore down the leader Fierce and Strong in a long drive for the victory.
Under the guidance of Julio Hernandez the 5-year-old completed the 1-1/16 miles in 1:43.19 for trainer Tim Woolley paying $7.60.
Crisper has an interesting pedigree sired by Tapiture out of the Leroidesanimaux (BRZ) mare Je Suis Enchantee (I am enchanted).
The gelding now has a record of five wins in his 21 career starts earning $283,126 with six second place and three third place finishes.
Click for Alphabet Soup chart.
Whistle Pig Stakes
Up next was a six-furlong test for 2-year-old Pennsylvania-breds, the $100,000 Whistle Pig Stakes (Black Type).
Frankie Pennington guided Warrior’s Reward LLC’s homebred The Boy’s Warrior to his second victory in two starts.
In a romp to the finish for trainer Tim Girten, the gelding cleared the field by nine lengths in a time of 1:12.50 paying $5.00.
The Warrior’s Reward bay is out of Inciarte mare Brown Vow.
Miss Blue Tye Dye Stakes
The $100,000 Miss Blue Tye Dye Stakes (Black Type) for Pa.-bred 2-year-old fillies brought luck to the punters when Pewter Stable’s homebred Honorable Win paid $20.20 for the win.
Outrun early with Tudox Dahlia setting an opening quarter mile of 22.02, Honorable Win advanced inside and wore down the pacesetter in a long drive home under Silvestre Gonzalez.
Making her debut, the gray Winchill filly completed the six-furlongs in 1:15.77 for trainer Kathleen Demasi.
Honorable Win is out of Congressionalhonor mare Honorable Partner.
Click for Miss Blue Tye Dye chart.
Plum Pretty
The $100,000 Plum Pretty was also excellent for bettors as the top three paid handsomely.
A 1 mile 70 yards competition for Pa.-bred fillies and mares, Dianne Stern’s homebred Foxy Junior took top honors for trainer Bernard Houghton paying $15.80.
Rated on the rail by Jomar Torres, Foxy Junior made an inside bid and bested Pachelbel who paid $16.60 and Confirmed Star clearing third by a nose and paying her faithful $12.00. She completed the course in 1:43.27.
Sired by Cuba out of Flatter mare Foxy Drummer, the dark bay filly now has seven wins in her 17 career starts with a second and third place earning $271,699.
Race 7
The mid-point of the card, Race 7 was a $100,000 Allowance Option Claiming race for older fillies and mares at seven furlongs.
Coming off of a victory at Laurel Park in July, Jagger Inc.’s Maryland-bred Brzina broke the slowest but rushed to the front under Jaime Rodriguez and never looked back drawing off after repelling a challenge from Striker has Dial with Irad Ortiz, Jr. up looking for win number three on the day.
The Jamie Ness trainee completed the course in 1:24.93 and paid $12.00.
A 5-year-old mare by Great Notion, Brzina is out of Not For Love mare Barouchka.
She has hit the board in 18 of her 27 starts with six wins, nine seconds and three thirds earning $308,705.
Greenwood Cup
The marquee races and the first graded stakes were up next as the formidable and undeniable Next stole the show with his repeat performance in Grade 3, $200,000 Greenwood Cup for trainer William Cowans.
Rated well by Luan Machado, the Not This Time gelding stalked the pace outside before taking over when ready and pulling away easily coasting to the finish in the win in the 1-1/2-mile marathon in 2:33.61.
Michael A. Foster’s gray powerhouse is undefeated in 2024 and has won an astounding 13 of his 23 starts earning $1,336,361.
The favorite in the race paid $2.10.
The grandson of the great Awesome Again, Next is out of Bahia Beach.
What’s next for Next? The Breeders’ Cup, of course!
Click for Greenwood Cup chart.
Parx Dirt Mile
Coleswood Farm, Inc.’s homebred Coastal Mission scored in the $300,000 Parx Dirt Mile (Listed) for trainer Jeff Runco.
Settled off the pace three wide by Arnaldo Bocachica, the team bid five wide in the stretch and drifted in gamely edging ahead of Repo Rocks by half of a length.
The 5-year-old gelding completed the mile in 1:40.49 paying $4.80.
Bred in West Virginia, The gray son of Great Notion out of Crowd Pleaser mare Smart Crowd now has 13 victories in 24 starts and is close to being a millionaire.
Click for Parx Dirt Mile chart.
Turf Monster
The five-furlongs $250,000 Turf Monster (Listed) was taken off the turf not because of rain but because the turf course was in poor condition.
Coming off of a victory in the Marshall Jennings Handicap on the dirt, LC Racing’s Smooth B handed the off-the-turf monster being under Mychel Sanchez well placed inside the dueling leaders, Talented Man and Fore Harp. Slipping through to the front at the top of the stretch Smooth B drew away by 4-1/12 lengths for trainer Butch Reid.
The bay completed the course in 58.31 paying $8.60.
Bred in Pennsylvania by St. Omer’s Farm & WynOaks Farm, LLC. The 9-year-old son of Weigelia is out of Disco Rico mare Katarica Disco.
The 9-year-old has hit the board 34 times out of 62 starts with 12 victories earning over a million.
There were seven scratches with two Also Eligibles out of this race.
Gallant Bob
The appetizer for the two marquee races was the Grade 2, $400,000 Gallant Bob for 3-year-olds at six furlongs.
Sunny Breeze broke first under Jaime Rodriguez and held tight to the lead but Irad Ortiz, Jr., would not be denied his triple for the day aboard Leon Kin Stable Corp.’s Bentornato.
They dueled along the inside before briefly losing position near the quarter pole coming back gamely holding off the challenge in the final yards by a neck.
It would be Sunny Breeze for second also by a neck over Buccherino.
Bertornato completed the six furlongs in 1:09.92 for trainer Jose D’Angelo for his second win on the day. He paid $4.00.
Bred in Florida by Tanma Corp., the bay colt is the son of Valiant Minister out of Put It Back mare Her Special Way.
Bertornato has hit the board in seven of his eight starts with five victories earning $791,830.
Cotillion
In her penultimate race of the year, Brookdale Racing, Inc.’s Thorpedo Anna did not disappoint fans although she may have put them on the edge of their seats.
The Grade 1, $1 million Cotillion at 1-1/16 mies challenged Thorpedo Anna and Brian Hernandez, Jr., as they forced the pace along the rail behind leader Mystic Lake. Hernandez eased Anna back before the half mile and awaited room in the final turn to angle out and split foes entering the stretch.
Anna would chase Gun Song now on the lead with a sixteenth of a mile to go and held off the challenge to win by a neck with Tarifa off the pace finishing third by a neck.
The Kenny McPeek trainee completed the course in 1:45.45 paying $2.20 with runner up Gun Song paying $13.00.
The Fast Anna filly was bred in Kentucky by Judy Hicks and is out of Uncle Mo mare Sataves.
The fan-fav filly now has seven victories in her nine starts earning nearly $3 million.
Next up for The Grizzly is the Breeders’ Cup Distaff.
Pennsylvania Derby
It was time for the main event in the Grade 1, $1 million Pennsylvania Derby at 1-1/8 miles and the theme of the race matched the color of the sky in Bensalem.
Two gray sons of the great Arrogate would contend, one being 2024 Preakness Champion MyRacehorse’s Seize the Grey trained by legendary D. Wayne Lukas.
Coming off a seventh-place finish in the Belmont Stakes and a fourth in the Jim Dandy at Saratoga, under Jaime Torres the colt jumped to the lead setting a pressured pace on the inside. Shaking clear on the turn only to be headed by Stronghold off the turn, Seize the Grey repelled the challenge before drifting out in the final sixteenth to draw clear by 3-3/4 lengths.
Arrogates’ Dragoon Guard missed third by a head to Stronghold.
Seize the Grey went wire-to-wire in 1:52.89 paying a tasty $10.60.
Bred in Kentucky by Jamm, LTD., out of Smart Strike mare Smart Shopping, Seize the Grey now has five victories and three thirds in his eight starts earning just under $2.5 million.
With his victory in the Pa. Derby Seize the Grey proved his Preakness victory was no fluke.
Click for Pennsylvania Derby chart.
Parx Sprint
The card closer was the $100,000 Parx Sprint (Black Type) at six and a half furlongs.
Michael Dubb’s Top Gunner would take top honors for trainer Brad Cox under Flavien Prat.
Prompting the pace four wide, Top Gunner angled inside the stretch then edged off driving.
There was a duel for the next three spots as Ninetyprcentmaddie scored second by a nose over Veeson besting Super Chow by a head for third.
Top Gunner completed the course in 1:16.38 paying $10.80.
Bred in Kentucky by Michael Talla, the 7-year-old gelding was sired by Into Mischief out of Pioneerof the Nile mare Downtown My Lady.
The bay gelding now has seven victories in 30 career stats with five seconds and eight thirds earning just under half a million.
