By the Moon won the Caesar’s Wish at Laurel, heads up the Parx Oaks. Photo by Jim McCue, Maryland Jockey Club.
Four stakes races will enliven Saturday’s card from Parx Racing.
The quartet includes two races restricted to Pennsylvania-breds, as well as a pair of $75,000 events, the Parx Derby for three-year-olds and the Parx Oaks for three-year-old fillies.
The races are the track’s first four stakes of the year. Our notes:
Race 6 – Parx Derby
1 mile 70 yard event has drawn a credible group of second-tier sophomores, headed by a pair of refugees from the Triple Crown trail… #5 Bluegrass Singer (2-1 morning line) ran third in the G2 Holy Bull down at Gulfstream before a couple of less successful graded efforts ended his Derby dream. Marcus Vitali trainee should appreciate the class relief here… #2 Unrivaled (9-2) won a pair of Parx races, a maiden and an allowance, by a combined 20 lengths, and was sold to Team Valor International, which jumped him up to the Grade 1 Blue Grass, where he ran a non-threatening seventh at long odds. Reunited with rider Frankie Pennington and back on his familiar home territory, he’s another who’ll appreciate easier company… #7 Bodhisattva (3-1) won nicely in the Federico Tesio at Pimlico, hopes to back that up by repeating here…
Race 7 – Lyman Stakes
7 furlong event has drawn a full field of 13. Notes here provided by the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association.
#4 Extrasexyhippzster (6-1) Owned and bred by Toni Kirwan & Ed Hipps. Conditioned by Michael Trombetta. Winner of 3 lifetime starts including the Miracle Woods Stakes at Laurel and the Don Rickles Stakes at Aqueduct. Coming off a game 3rd, beaten two lengths, in a money allowance race at Aqueduct. Will put on the blinkers for Saturday.- #6 Sailor’s Revenge (3-1) Bred by Randy Kerr, owned by Pewter Stables and trained by Kate Demasi. Winner of 7 races; five at Parx. Won the Auld Lang Syne Stakes at Parx by 10 lengths. Last was a good fourth, beaten only a length, in the John B. Campbell Handicap at Laurel, which was won by Page McKenney, who returned to win another stake and then run third in the G2 Charles Town Classic.
- #7 Graybignbadlikedad (9-2) The Ramon Preciado trainee has won eight races and over $300,000 in purses. Won last two starts at Parx facing tough allowance company.
- #3 Yougotthatgoingforu (5-1) Trained by Philip Aristone, son of Student Council has won seven races and is multiple stakes placed. Will be making first start of the year. Last out ran 3rd, beaten 10 lengths by Sailor’s Revenge, in the Auld Lang Syne over the strip.
Race 8 – Parx Oaks
Another 1 mile 70 yard test, this for the distaff set, has 11 entrants, headed by #7 By the Moon (2-1). Winner of the Caesar’s Wish at Laurel is a Grade 1 winner who, we thought, used that race to get back on track for bigger things, making this a somewhat curious spot for the Michelle Nevin trainee… We may get a line on #5 Money’soncharlotte (5-1) by today’s Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks. Kelly Breen runner has been keeping ritzy company, running third to I’m a Chatterbox and Condo Commando in recent tilts, and a move forward here would not surprise… #8 Overprepared (6-1) enters off two middling efforts but is a stake winner, having taken the Busanda at Aqueduct back in January for trainer Todd Pletcher… Cal Lynch runner #11 Danzatrice (4-1) has won two of three career starts and makes her stakes bow here…
Race 9 – Foxy J G Stakes
The distaff version of the Lyman, the Foxy J G is a 7-furlong race for Pennsylvania-bred fillies and mares that’s drawn 13 runners. Notes provided by the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association:
- #1 Disco Chick (3-1) Conditioned by Mario Serey, Jr. for Freedom Acres Farm. Stakes placed winner of five races. Coming off a long layoff after a third place finish in the Willa On the Move Stakes at Laurel in early December.
- #11 Henney Jenney (4-1) Shipping in from Keeneland for trainer William Connelly, she has won four races, including the Inaugural Stakes at Presque Isle, and finished a closing second in the Dogwood Stakes (G3) at Churchill. Draw a line through the last, on turf.
- #4 Bound (12-1) Jump Start filly trained by Bernie Houghton has been away since Oct. 27th. Has won 4 of 12 starts, including the Plum Pretty Stakes over the strip in October. Certainly fits here, but the lengthy break and an inconclusive work tab mean you’ll need decent odds to take the plunge here.
- #8 Pixie Dust (20-1) Owned and trained by Chuck Lawrence, she gets what might be her best distance at 7 furlongs. Multiple stakes-placed winner of four races, she likes to come from off the early speed, and there appears to be plenty of that in this event. She’s a runner who’s live at a price.
